Putin and Netanyahu hold phone call ahead of UN vote on Gaza peacekeepers
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have spoken over the phone ahead of the UN Security Council vote on the deployment of peacekeepers in Gaza.
The Kremlin said on Saturday that "a thorough exchange of views took place on the situation in the Middle East region, including developments in the Gaza Strip in the context of implementing the ceasefire agreement and the exchange of detainees.” The leaders also discussed Iran’s nuclear program and the situation in Syria.
Netanyahu’s office released a shorter statement, saying that the Israeli prime minister and the Russian president had discussed “regional issues.”
Earlier this month, the US circulated a proposed resolution authorizing the deployment of the International Stabilization Force (ISF) in Gaza for a period of at least two years and calling for the establishment of the so-called Board of Peace as a transitional governing body. On Friday, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, Jordan, Türkiye, Pakistan, and Indonesia released a joint statement backing the American proposal.
Moscow has submitted an alternative proposal tasking the UN secretary general with drawing up options for implementing US President Donald Trump’s peace plan. The Russian mission criticized the American plan for lacking “instruments of oversight and control” over the stabilization force and not mentioning the two-state solution. It said that “only a truly equal and inclusive approach” can guarantee peace.
Both proposals are expected to be put to a vote on Monday.
