JERUSALEM, ISRAEL – JANUARY 23: Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) attend their meeting at Prime Minister’s Office on January 23, 2020 in Jerusalem, Israel. President Vladimir Putin is having a one-day trip Israel. (Photo by Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images)
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When the Israel-Hamas war started a month ago, Russia was conspicuously measured in its immediate response to the conflict, issuing cautious statements calling for cool heads and a cease-fire.
As Israel’s assault on the Hamas-governed Gaza Strip has intensified, with over 10,000 Palestinians believed to have now died in the heavily-bombarded enclave, Russia has increasingly abandoned its more neutral stance and is becoming openly critical and hostile toward Israel.
Russia’s initially sober response to the eruption of violence was seen to be a result of the Kremlin carefully weighing up its competing and conflicting interests in the Middle East.
Russia has always enjoyed constructive relations with Israel, with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israel’s Premier Benjamin Netanyahu enjoying a close relationship and vowing to deepen Israeli-Russian ties.
Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures as Iranian Minister of Petroleum Javad Owji (second from left) looks on during the welcoming ceremony at the airport on July 19, 2022, in Tehran, Iran. Putin and his Turkish counterpart Erdogan arrived in Iran for the summit.
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In recent years, however, Russia has become extremely close with Israel’s arch-enemy Iran and has become even more reliant on Tehran since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, relying on the country (among other rogue states) for weapons, predominantly drones, for use in the war.
Against this backdrop, when the Iran-backed militant group Hamas attacked Israel on Oct.7, seizing over 200 Israeli hostages, Russia was put in an awkward position, not wanting to either…
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