Russia’s ambassador to Israel, Anatoly Viktorov, suggested that the United States should acknowledge errors in its approach to the Middle East. He said that Washington is pressuring Israel to adopt severe measures and that such tactics ignore the broader interests of regional states. Viktorov spoke on the TV channel Russia 24, framing the current situation as a consequence of a policy that has sidelined collective regional action in favor of unilateral moves. He argued that the United States has either forgotten the Palestine issue or claimed to have offered a solution without fully addressing the root problems involved. The ambassador asserted that this unilateral trajectory has once again driven Israel toward harsh steps that are ill suited to the present conditions, with the aim of keeping tensions high so that terms can later be dictated. Viktorov stressed that this path will not resolve the Palestinian–Israeli conflict and will only perpetuate instability. [Citation: Russia 24 interview]
The latest round of tensions in the Middle East followed Hamas militants crossing from the Gaza Strip into Israel on October 7, an operation Hamas labeled Al-Aqsa Flood. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israel was at war. The stated objective of Israel’s retaliation, described as Operation Iron Sword, was to repel the assault, free more than 200 hostages including foreigners, and crush Hamas. From the first day of the operation, Israel launched extensive rocket strikes against targets in Gaza. Concurrently, the Israeli National Security Council ordered a halt to basic supplies such as water, food, goods, electricity and fuel entering the Gaza Strip. Humanitarian deliveries began via the Rafah crossing only after October 20, with officials acknowledging that the aid flow remained insufficient. [Citation: Western and regional reporting]
On October 27, Israel announced plans to widen the ground invasion in Gaza. The exact start date of the ground operation remains unclear, but it followed a mass exodus of Palestinians from their homes toward shelters and the southern regions. By November 5, Israeli forces had surrounded Gaza City and cut off essential supplies in central Gaza, with fighting continuing in the area. [Citation: regional security briefings]
A political analyst later characterized the conflict as a long-standing flare of tensions between Israelis and Palestinians, noting that multiple factors feed into the cycle of violence and retaliation. The analysis underscored that external pressures, including foreign policy choices by major powers, shape the strategic calculus on the ground. [Citation: expert commentary on regional dynamics]