Lavrov said in an interview with Indonesia’s “Kompas” newspaper: “The victims of the war ongoing for nearly two years in Gaza have exceeded tens of thousands of Palestinians, while the number of injured civilians has surpassed one hundred thousand, which is many times more than the number of civilians killed in Ukraine during the same period.”

He added: “Israel’s policy of restricting the entry of humanitarian aid, which exacerbates the risk of mass famine in the Palestinian sector, causes serious concern and discontent. The Israeli approach aimed at cleansing the West Bank of Palestinians is also worrisome.”

Lavrov emphasized the importance of preventing the complete destruction of Gaza and stopping the killing of civilians, stressing the need for: “an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire, unconditional release of hostages and detainees, and ensuring safe access of humanitarian aid to all those in need.”

He pointed out that “the roots of the current tragedy lie in the failure to implement international community resolutions regarding the establishment of an independent Palestinian state living side by side with Israel in security and peace,” affirming that achieving the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people for self-determination is an indispensable condition for resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict,” adding: “Without this, it is difficult to realistically and sustainably guarantee Israel’s own security, which Russia and other responsible countries sincerely seek.”

Lavrov mentioned that Russia actively participated in the high-level international conference on the Middle East held in New York from July 28 to 30, noting that this track will continue during the high-level week of the United Nations General Assembly’s eightieth session in the second half of September.

The Russian Foreign Minister concluded by saying: “We will continue, with our partners who share the same goal, to work towards calming the situation and creating conditions for a negotiated solution to the Palestinian issue, and we look forward to close cooperation with our Indonesian friends in this context.”