Russia sees ‘high risk’ of third party entering conflict between Israel, Hamas

The Kremlin on Monday reacted to the movement of an American carrier strike group closer to Israel, telling Russian state media it sees a “high risk” of a third party entering the conflict between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas.

“The risk is high that third parties will get involved in the conflict. It’s crucial to find ways to move toward negotiations as soon as possible in order to ease tensions and move away from attempts to resolve the issue by military means,” Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian state-run news agency TASS.

The Middle East “has always been a place where the interests of a number of countries are intertwined, and these countries haven’t always had a positive impact on the situation in the region,” Peskov said, per TASS. “There is a very complicated balance of interests, as well as a balance between the rights of nations that need to be respected and their security that needs to be ensured.”

Peskov told reporters the Kremlin is “keeping a close eye” on the conflict in Israel, adding “the situation is heading towards further escalation.”

Peskov’s comments come on the heels of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s announcement Sunday that the U.S.’s Ford carrier strike group will be moved closer to the Eastern Mediterranean to “bolster regional deterrence efforts.”

The Ford carrier strike group includes the USS Gerald R. Ford, the U.S. Navy’s most advanced aircraft carrier, along with multiple missile cruisers and missile destroyers. 

Austin said the Pentagon is also taking steps to bolster the U.S. Air Force fighter aircraft squadrons in the region, with the U.S. maintaining other ready forces around the globe to reinforce those in the Eastern Mediterranean as needed. 

Israel and Hamas members entered their third day of fighting Monday, following a series of surprise attacks from Hamas last Saturday. The death toll in Israel on Monday rose to at least 900 individuals, including both soldiers and civilians, from both sides, according to The Associated Press.

An additional 680 people have been killed in Gaza so far as Israel continues to ramp up its offensive against Hamas, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Monday its air force launched one of the largest air strike operations “ever” against Hamas in Gaza and claimed to have hit 1,200 targets in Gaza between Saturday and Monday, with forces doubling that number Monday.

The U.S. government was quick to offer its support to Israel, with President Biden telling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the U.S. is prepared to offer “all appropriate means of support” to Israel.

In a call on Sunday, the White House said Biden informed Netanyahu that “additional assistance” was on its way to support the IDF, while expressing sympathy with the Israeli people.