Putin blames US for Hamas attack, fails to condemn terror

Russian officials say U.S. failed policies in Middle East to blame for deadliest terror attack in Israeli history, refuse to condemn Hamas.

By World Israel News Staff

Russian President Vladimir Putin placed the blame for Hamas’ attack, which has killed at least 1,200 in Israel dead, on what he said was failed U.S. policy in the Middle East.

The U.S. has consistently ignored the Palestinians’ needs in the region, Putin said in a conversation with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia Al-Sudani, who is currently visiting Moscow.

Speaking about the ongoing fighting, Putin said he thinks “that many people will agree with me that this is a vivid example of the failure of United States policy in the Middle East.”

In a joint statement with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, the Kremlin bemoaned the “catastrophic rise in the deaths among civilians,” while refusing to condemn Hamas for terrorism.

Moscow has hosted senior Hamas officials on numerous occasions, including Ismail Haniyeh, as recently as September 2022.

During that visit, Putin encouraged Haniyeh to mend Hamas’ ongoing rift with the Palestinian Authority.

“We are extremely concerned” about the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Monday during a press conference.

“We believe that the situation should be brought to a peaceful resolution as soon as possible, as the continuation of such a spiral of violence is fraught with further escalation of the conflict,” Peskov said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow was concerned about the conflict, but like Putin and Peskov, failed to condemn the Hamas terror group for its targeting of civilians.

“There is an urgent need to stop the fighting and address the problem of civilians, who are being victimized in huge numbers, and to pay attention to the reasons the Palestinian problem for many decades cannot find a solution,” Lavrov said.

Lavrov emphasized the potential of Russia serving as a negotiator in the region, and said the country would partner with other nations to work towards a two state solution.

“We are ready to do this, with other countries that are sincerely interested in establishing sustainable peace in the Middle East and ensuring the security of all countries in the region without exception, including the State of Palestine,” he added.