Ukraine and Russia have become used to being at the center of global media attention after 19 months of war, but that shifted over the weekend after the Islamist militant group Hamas launched the deadliest attack on Israel in decades.
Over 1,000 people have now died in both Israel and Gaza after Israel launched retaliatory airstrikes on the Palestinian territory. On Monday, Israel said it was still fighting militants in “seven to eight places” on its own territory and the fate of hundreds of hostages taken by Hamas militants reins unknown.
Russia has traditionally trodden a fine diplomatic line between Israel and Arab countries. On Saturday, Russia’s Foreign Ministry called on both sides to reach a cease-fire but also blamed the West for blocking international mediators, including Russia.
Russia is likely to try to use the eruption of violence in Israel to distract from its operations in Ukraine, analysts at the Institute for the Study of War said on Saturday. The Kremlin said Monday that it was “extremely concerned” by the situation but said Russian President Vladimir Putin does not yet plan to contact Israeli or Palestinian officials to discuss the security crisis.
Fire and smoke rise after an Israeli airstrike targeted the National Bank in Gaza City, on Oct. 8, 2023.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv would support Israel as it fought Hamas, which was designated as a terrorist group by the U.S., U.K. and EU.
“It is very important that the whole world – the whole of it – does not stand aside from what has happened now and responds in the most principled way possible,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly address Sunday.
