Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is hosting a meeting of foreign ministers from member nations of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to discuss the situation in Gaza.
The RIA report, citing a Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman, did not specify which countries would be attending the meeting in Moscow. No further details were immediately available.
Russia, which previously enjoyed close relations with Israel, has struck a cautiously pro-Palestinian position since the outbreak of war around Gaza, rebuking Israel for civilian casualties, and restating its long-standing support for a Palestinian state.
Arab and Muslim ministers jointly called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. They made this plea during their visit to Beijing, which marks the first leg of a diplomatic tour aimed at ending hostilities and facilitating humanitarian aid to the war-torn Palestinian territory.
In addition to seeking a ceasefire, the delegation plans to meet with officials representing each of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. Their objective is to exert pressure on the Western nations to reject Israel’s justification for its actions against Palestinians as self-defense.
The delegation reportedly includes officials from several countries, such as Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Indonesia, the Palestinian authorities, and the OIC member nations.
The situation in Gaza has drawn the attention and concern of Arab and Muslim nations, prompting collaborative efforts to address the ongoing crisis.
Meanwhile, the media office in the besieged enclave said on November 19 that the death toll in Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip since October 7 has reached 13,000, including over 5,500 children and 3,500 women. The number of injuries has exceeded 30,000, with more than 75% of them being children and women, the media office said in its statement.
