Putin: Israel occupies ancestral Palestinian lands

Israel partially occupied ancestral Palestinian lands, including through military force, Russian President Vladimir Putin said, RT reports.

"Part of the lands that the Palestinians consider to be part of historical Palestinian lands has been occupied by Israel at different times and in different ways, but mostly, of course, with the help of military force,” the Russian president said.

Israel emerged as a sovereign state, but Palestine, "due to a variety of circumstances,” was not able to develop the same way.

As part of the negotiations with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani in Moscow, Putin stated that one needs to work on the creation of the sovereign state of Palestine. The current crisis has emerged as an unfortunate outcome of Washington's attempts to resolve the conflict in the Middle East. Washington disregards the "core interests of the Palestinian people," Putin believes.

What is happening between Israel and Palestine now is terrible, the Russian president said. 

“Whatever the level of bitterness, one still needs to strive to minimise or reduce to zero losses among the civilian population, among women, children, and the elderly,” Putin noted during the plenary session of the Russian Energy Week.

If men decide to fight, they need to fight between themselves and leave women and children alone, Putin added.