Palestinians should be given the opportunity to establish an independent state in the occupied West Bank and besieged Gaza, with East Jerusalem as its capital, coexisting in peace and security with Israel, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson has said.
Maria Zakharova advocated on Monday for a negotiated settlement to the Palestinian issue and other regional conflicts, reaffirming Moscow's support for a Palestinian state alongside Israel.
She criticised what she described as renewed efforts by some Western government-backed "brain centres" to promote "alternative schemes" for the future of Palestine, including proposals linking Palestinian territories with neighbouring Arab states.
Zakharova said such ideas had previously been rejected by both Palestinians and Arab countries and contradicted the international legal framework for resolving the conflict, including UN Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, the Arab Peace Initiative and the Madrid principles.
"It is necessary for historical justice to prevail and for the Palestinians to be able to establish an independent state in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip with East Jerusalem as its capital, co-existing in peace and security with Israel," Russia's TASS news agency quoted Zakharova as saying.
She said efforts to bypass the positions of Arab states in seeking a Middle East settlement are doomed to fail and would not lead to lasting stability.
Instead, Zakharova called for direct negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis to address final-status issues and the parameters of a two-state solution acceptable to both sides.
New crisis
She also said the Middle East is facing a new security crisis following US and Israeli attacks on Iran, arguing that coordinated international and regional efforts are needed to address regional challenges.
Zakharova said Russia remains open to cooperation with international partners committed to a negotiated settlement and urged all external actors to adhere to UN Security Council resolutions and send consistent messages to the parties.
She said Russia continues to support international initiatives aimed at advancing a Middle East peace process, including a UN-endorsed proposal to convene an international conference on the region.
Israeli genocide in Gaza
Israel has killed over 73,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and wounded over 173,000 others in its genocide in Gaza since October 2023.
It has reduced most of the blockaded enclave to ruin and displaced all of its population.
Despite a ceasefire that took effect on October 10, 2025, the Israeli army continues to violate it daily, killing at least 961 Palestinians and wounding over 3,000 others.
