The Kremlin said Monday there was a “high risk” of a third party entering the conflict between Israel and Palestinian terror group Hamas after the US moved warships closer to the Jewish state.
US President Joe Biden announced the show of support on Sunday, sending fresh aid to Israel following the unprecedented infiltration and onslaught by Hamas gunmen on Saturday.
“The risk of third forces becoming involved in this conflict is high,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by the TASS news agency.
“It is very important to find ways as soon as possible to move towards some kind of negotiation process in order to reduce this escalation and move away from a military solution,” he said.
Russia has said it is in contact with both sides.
Israel fears that other forces could also launch attacks.
The fence of an Israeli military position is seen damaged after Hezbollah targeted it by rockets on Mount Dov on the Lebanese border, Oct. 8, 2023. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Lebanon’s Iran-backed Shiite terror group Hezbollah fired on Israeli positions Sunday, and there were several attempted border infiltrations.
Some Western countries have expressed fears Iran could get involved in the Hamas offensive against Israel. Tehran has rejected accusations of playing a role in the assault.
Hundreds of Palestinian terrorists from the Iran-backed Islamist group Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, infiltrated Israel at dawn on Saturday under the cover of a massive rocket barrage. Gunmen roamed through communities and areas in southern Israel, killing at least 800 people and kidnapping over 100 others who were taken to Gaza as captives. Over 2,500 people in Israel were injured.
Israel has responded with airstrikes across Gaza targeting terrorist infrastructure.
The Hamas-run health ministry in the Gaza Strip said 493 Palestinians have been killed and 2,300 have been wounded in the enclave since Saturday. The Israel Defense Forces has said it has killed hundreds more Palestinian terrorists in Israeli territory.
