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Russian President Vladimir Putin. Photo/sputnik
MOSCOW – Russian President Vladimir Putin will join an emergency video conference with other BRICS leaders on Tuesday (21/11/2023) to discuss the ongoing escalation between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas fighter group.
This development was revealed by the Kremlin on Monday (20/11/2023). The Kremlin did not provide further details about the event.
Earlier on Monday, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office said he would chair an extraordinary joint meeting on the situation in Gaza.
South Africa currently leads the BRICS group, which also includes Russia, China, Brazil and India.
Apart from the permanent members of BRICS, the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were also invited to join the event.
“All participants will comment on the current humanitarian crisis in Gaza,” the South African presidential office said in a statement, adding that leaders were expected to adopt a joint statement on the issue.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres will also join the meeting, according to the statement.
Israel has been carrying out massive military aggression in Gaza for more than a month now. Previously, Hamas killed around 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians. More than 200 people were also taken hostage by Palestinian fighters.
Israel launched a massive bombing campaign against Gaza followed by ground operations. The death toll related to Israel’s brutal offensive in the enclave has surpassed 11,000, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health.
Russia has repeatedly called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Earlier this week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told RT that the only way to end Israeli-Palestinian violence was through the framework of a UN-backed two-state solution and that it would require serious efforts from all parties to implement it.
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