The only way to stop the catastrophe in Gaza from spreading is an immediate and widespread ceasefire. Security Council Resolution 2728 was clearly insufficient, since it was simply not observed, and this should lead to the introduction of sanctions against the violator, he said on April 17 during speeches at a meeting of the UN Security Council, Russia's permanent representative to the organization Vasily Nebenzya.
The diplomat stressed that a ceasefire in the enclave will ensure safe and unhindered humanitarian access to all Gazavians in need and will help prevent the growing threat of further expansion of the crisis.
“SB Resolution 2728 was clearly not enough. It simply wasn't implemented. Ramadan has passed, and the question of long-term establishment of fire is again becoming acute. We proceed from the fact that the UN Security Council will return to consider it in the very near future. We remind you once again: failure to comply with mandatory Security Council resolutions should lead to the imposition of sanctions against the violator. We believe that the Council should consider this issue without delay,” the Russian permanent representative concluded.
During the same speech, Nebenzia called for the immediate restoration of full funding to UNRWA. He noted that UNRWA is the only channel for providing assistance to the Palestinians and until a resolution of the Palestinian issue is achieved, the agency must function and help people.
On April 17, Prime Minister of the Jewish State Benjamin Netanyahu, during a government meeting following a series of negotiations with partner countries, said that Israel appreciates the advice of allies, but will make decisions regarding self-defense independently. Netanyahu earlier that day held meetings with the foreign ministers of Germany and Great Britain, and the day before spoke with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
On April 16, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israel of provocations in order to expand the geography of the Middle East crisis to the entire region. During a cabinet meeting, the Turkish leader raised the topic of Iran's drone and ballistic missile attacks on Israel on April 13 and noted that what happened showed both the double standards of the West and the likelihood of a war that could engulf the entire region.
On April 14, Nebenzya called the meeting convened by the UN Security Council on striking Iran a parade of hypocrisy. According to him, an attack on a diplomatic mission is actually a casus belli (a formal reason to start a war) in international law. Nebenzya pointed out the “hypocrisy and double standards of the West” towards countries in the Middle East.
The Russian Foreign Ministry expressed concern about another dangerous escalation in the Middle East region and called on all parties to show restraint.
The situation in the Middle East escalated on the morning of October 7, 2023, when the Palestinian radical movement Hamas subjected Israel to massive rocket fire from the Gaza Strip, and also invaded the border areas in the south of the country and took hostages. That same day, Israel began retaliating against targets in the Gaza Strip.
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