News - If Gaza is destroyed, it will create catastrophe for ‘decades, if not centuries’

The destruction of the Gaza Strip and the expulsion of 2 million inhabitants from the enclave will create a catastrophe for many decades, if not centuries, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told BelTA. “The destruction of Gaza and the displacement of its 2 million residents, as proposed by certain politicians in Israel and abroad, would lead to a catastrophe lasting for many decades, if not centuries,” Lavrov said. “So, of course, we need to stop. And it is necessary to announce humanitarian programs to save the population who are under blockade: no water, no electricity, no food, no heat, there is none of this,” the minister added. According to him, Russia maintains contacts with Israel in full and sends signals about the need to find a peaceful solution to the conflict. “We are in constant communication with the Israelis, with our ambassador regularly conveying the message that it's essential to continue seeking a peaceful resolution rather than pursuing the declared scorched earth strategy in Gaza,” he said. In addition, Lavrov recalled how the United States at one time wanted elections to be held in Gaza, because “there must be democracy there.” Russia, as the minister pointed out, then warned that the mood in society there was radical and the result could be unfavorable for the possibility of negotiations with Israel. As a result of the elections, Hamas won and the Americans did not recognize their results. “Such recklessness in their politics, unless it's a calculated move aimed at using any means to create irritants and provoke instability, and then stepping in to resolve it as they see fit,” the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry noted.