Finding balance.

Byline: Gul Ayesha Bhatti

In the heart of the ever-shifting geopolitical terrain, on October 7th, the Israel-Palestine war resulted in the deaths of numerous civilians. Israel's imposition of a comprehensive blockade on Gaza, which Human Rights Watch has denounced as 'collective punishment' and a 'war crime,' poses a significant threat to the lives of the 2.3 million Palestinians confined within the beleaguered area. Israeli forces are continuously targeting innocent Palestinians in all possible inhumane ways. Russia, which has strong relations with Israel and engages in diplomatic discussions with Hamas without officially labeling it a terrorist organization, has responded to this extraordinary situation with caution and restraint. Moscow's strategy in this conflict is centered on maintaining equilibrium and fostering amicable relations with all parties involved. President Putin's government has criticized the use of violence by both Hamas and Israel and has attributed most of the responsibility to the United States' destructive approach which had ignored the need for an independent Palestinian state.

Putin expressed his concerns over the significant rise in Israeli and Palestinian fatalities during a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani in Moscow three days after Hamas' attack. The Russian president seized the chance to reaffirm his government's stance that establishing a Palestinian state is 'essential' while simultaneously criticizing US policy and the UN role. He asserted that the U.S. has focused on providing economic 'handouts' to the Palestinians while paying little regard to their fundamental challenges related to statehood, Putin described it as a manifestation of what he called an obvious failure of Washington's peacemaking efforts. On 13 October, Vassily Nebenzia, Russia's ambassador to the United Nations, urged for a 'humanitarian ceasefire' and proposed a resolution to the UN Security Council. The resolution explicitly denounces all violence and conflicts targeted at people and any acts of terrorism. She also criticized the Western countries, accusing Washington of being accountable for the imminent conflict in the Middle East and criticizing Brussels for disregarding the Israeli air force's assaults on civilian facilities in the Gaza Strip. The UN Security Council rejected the Russian-led draft resolution, with France, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States all voting against it. Russia...