Russia invites Palestinian factions for talks on Israeli offensive in Gaza

Russia has invited up to 14 organizations to an intra-Palestinian meeting in Moscow, including representatives of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, Russia’s special presidential envoy for the Middle East and Africa, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov has told TASS.

"We invited all Palestinian representatives - all political forces that are present in different countries of the region, including Syria and Lebanon," Bogdanov said. "The composition is about the same as it was at the previous two intra-Palestinian meetings: 12 to 14 organizations."

"Most of them are affiliated with the Palestine Liberation Organization, but there are also some organizations that have not yet joined it - Hamas and Islamic Jihad," he said. "We have invited them as well."

Moscow's goal, he explained, is to help various Palestinian forces agree to unite politically.

Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told the 13th Middle East Conference of the Valdai Club, said that Russia was planning to hold another intra-Palestinian meeting in the foreseeable future with the aim of settling the conflict in the Middle East with the support of Arab states.

Since October 7, Israel has killed at least 28,775 Palestinians in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to Palestinian health officials in the enclave.