The head of Hamas political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, spoke on the phone with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Thursday, and discussed the latest developments in the occupied city of Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, Anadolu news agency reported.
During the call, Haniyeh expressed appreciation for Russia’s support for Palestinian rights and rejection of the ongoing Israeli manoeuvres in Al-Aqsa Mosque, pointing to Russia’s pivotal role in the region.
Head of Hamas Ismail Haniyeh and Russian FM Lavrov had a long phone call today, developments in Palestine were discussed
— Astro (@EyesonSouth) April 21, 2022
Haniyeh highlighted the escalation of Israel’s measures against Palestinian worshippers in Jerusalem and at Al-Aqsa Mosque including preventing tens of thousands of Palestinians from accessing the Muslim holy site, assaulting worshippers, breaking the mosque’s doors and windows, arresting hundreds of worshippers, and assaulting women and children inside the mosque.
Haniyeh also discussed the Israeli occupation’s storming of the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, and the deliberate killing of many Palestinians, imposing a siege on the camp, storming West Bank cities and villages and bombing residential areas in the Gaza Strip.
He called on Russia to play a role in curbing this aggression and preventing Israel from changing the historical and religious character of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.
The Russian Foreign Ministry criticized “anti-Russian” remarks by Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, who accused Russia of war crimes in Ukraine following the April 7 vote to suspend Russia from the UNHRC.
READ FULL STORY THROUGH https://t.co/AHURXFFGKE pic.twitter.com/zdAC9pGV0v
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) April 22, 2022
For his part, Lavrov affirmed his appreciation of the Palestinian people and their cause.
“Our position is firm on the issue, as we have always been on the side of the Palestinian people in their right to self-determination and their right to establish their independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital,” Lavrov said.
Lavrov also denounced the Israeli occupation’s use of excessive force against civilians, stressing the need to reverse these practices.
(MEMO, PC, Social Media)
