Nebenzya: about 1000 Russian citizens became hostages of the military blockade of Gaza

As a result of the military blockade of the Gaza Strip, about 1,000 Russian citizens were actually taken hostage, Russia’s permanent representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya said at meeting Security Council of the world organization.

“About 1,000 Russian citizens and members of their families became virtual hostages of the military blockade of Gaza. The humanitarian blockade of the Palestinian enclave puts its entire population on the brink of survival, which is actually being sacrificed before our eyes,” he said.

Russia, the diplomat emphasized, calls on Israel to prioritize international humanitarian law, the lives of civilians and civilian infrastructure. Moscow also calls on the parties to the conflict to cease hostilities and create humanitarian corridors for the civilian population.

“Since the UN Security Council was unable to formulate a clear response to these challenges, we are initiating the resumption of the 10th extremely special session of the UN General Assembly on the protection of Palestinian civilians for a comprehensive discussion of the situation in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict zone,” Nebenzya added.

On October 7, the Palestinian group Hamas attacked Israel. Amid the militant attack, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched Operation Iron Swords, and the country went into a state of war. According to the latest data, over 3,000 Palestinians and 1,400 Israelis have died as a result of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

The Russian Foreign Ministry, commenting on the attack on the Al-Ahly hospital in Gaza, which killed hundreds of civilians, called for the consolidation of international efforts for an urgent ceasefire and the opening of humanitarian corridors in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict zone. This will make it possible to organize the delivery of food, medicine and fuel, organize the evacuation of everyone and stop the impending humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

The Russian Embassy reported on October 14 that as a result of the Hamas attack on Israel, 16 Russian citizens who also had an Israeli passport were killed, and another 8 are on the list of missing persons.