MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday for talks focusing on the situation in Syria and Israeli concerns about the role of Iran and its proxies there.
Greeting Netanyahu at the start of their Kremlin negotiations, Putin emphasized a high level of trust between them. Netanyahu’s visit to Moscow follows his talks last month with US President Donald Trump.
Netanyahu praised Russia’s role in fighting the Daesh group and other radical militants in Syria. At the same time, he raised strong concern about the presence of Iranian and Hezbollah forces in Syria.
“Of course, in the past year, there was significant progress in the fight against the radical … terrorism led by Daesh and Al-Qaeda,” Netanyahu said. “Russia has made a very important contribution. Naturally, we do not want this terrorism to be replaced by the radical Shiite terrorism led by Iran.”
Russia has sided with Iran and Hezbollah in helping support Syrian President Bashar Assad, but at the same time it has maintained warm ties with Israel. The two nations have coordinated their actions to prevent any possible incidents between their militaries in Syria.
“The threat of Shiite radicals threatens us no less than it does the region and the peace of the world, and I know that we are partners in the desire to prevent any kind of victory by radicals of any sort,” Netanyahu said.
In a statement released by his office at the end of the talks, Netanyahu was quoted as saying that he “made it clear” to Putin that Israel is opposed to any agreement on Syria that would leave “Iran and its proxies with a military presence in Syria.”
Before the talks, Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied media reports that Moscow has given Israel the green light to strike Hezbollah.
“It has nothing to do with reality,” Peskov said in a conference call with reporters. “It has not been discussed, and there is no talk about it.”
Netanyahu raises concern over Iranian-backed forces aiding Assad
Netanyahu raises concern over Iranian-backed forces aiding Assad
Senior Hamas figure among 7 killed in Israeli airstrike
- Pair of Israeli airstrikes hit Gaza's Deir Al-Balah, killing a Hamas commander
- Boy, aged 16, among the dead
CAIRO: A senior figure in the armed wing of Hamas was among seven people killed on Thursday in a pair of Israeli airstrikes in Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, a Hamas source said.
The Israeli military did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the incident. The Hamas source said one of the dead was Mohammed Al-Holy, a local commander in the group’s armed wing in Deir Al-Balah.
Hamas condemned the strikes on the Al-Holy family, in a statement that did not mention Mohammed or his role in the group. It accused Israel of violating the ceasefire deal in place since October, and attempting to reignite the conflict.
Health officials said the six other dead in the incident included a 16-year-old.
Israel and Hamas have traded blame for violations of the ceasefire and remain far apart from each other on key issues, despite the United States announcing the start of the agreement’s second phase on Wednesday.
More than 400 Palestinians and three Israeli soldiers have been reported killed since the ceasefire took effect in October.
Israel has razed buildings and ordered residents out of more than half of Gaza where its troops remain. Nearly all of the territory’s more than 2 million people now live in makeshift homes or damaged buildings in a sliver of territory where Israeli troops have withdrawn and Hamas has reasserted control.
The United Nations children’s agency said on Tuesday that over 100 children have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire, including victims of drone and quadcopter attacks.
Israel launched its operations in Gaza in the wake of an attack by Hamas-led fighters in October 2023 which killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies. Israel’s assault has killed 71,000 people, according to health authorities in the strip, and left much of Gaza in ruins.
