Russia blamed Israel, the US and its allies for the ‘indiscriminate violence’ during the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza. 

At the International Court of Justice hearing on Wednesday, Russia blamed  Israel, the US and its Western allies for the ‘collective punishment’ inflicted upon the Palestinian population in Gaza, Anadolu news agency reported.

“We are convinced the tragic events of the 7th of October cannot justify the collective punishment of more than 2 million Gazans,” Vladimir Tarabrin, the Russian envoy to the Netherlands, was quoted as saying.

“We cannot accept the logic of those officials in Israel and some Western countries who try to defend the indiscriminate violence against civilians by referring to Israel’s duty to protect its nationals,” Tarabrin reportedly added.

BREAKING: RUSSIA PRESENT THEIR POSITION TO THE ICJ ON DAY 3 REGARDING ISRAEL’S WAR CRIMES AND ILLEGAL OCCUPATION pic.twitter.com/4xmaLK7eru

— Sulaiman Ahmed (@ShaykhSulaiman) February 21, 2024

“Violence can only lead to more violence. Hatred brings hatred. This vicious circle must be broken,” Tarabrin added.

Tarabrin also condemned the Israeli occupation, saying that it “impedes the realization of the Palestinian people of its right of self-determination”.

“A negotiated two-state solution with an independent and viable Palestinian state peacefully coexisting with Israel will be the best recipe for bringing an end to Israel’s violations, creating guarantees of their non-repetition and redressing the damage,” Tarabrin added.

Public hearings started Monday in The Hague following the UN General Assembly’s request for an advisory opinion on the legal consequences arising from policies and practices of Israel in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem.

South Africa brought a genocide case against Israel to the ICJ in late December and asked it for emergency measures to end Palestinian bloodshed in Gaza.

‘The Black Dress’ – Groundbreaking Palestinian Documentary Challenges NYT Report on Oct. 7 Mass Rape

According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 29,313 Palestinians have been killed, and 69,333 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.

Moreover, at least 7,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip. 

Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.

The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.

(PC, Anadolu Agency)