Israeli settlers attacked Russian diplomats – Moscow

The Israeli military did not stop the attack despite being present at the scene, according to the Foreign Ministry’s spokeswoman

A Russian diplomatic vehicle was attacked last week by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, resulting in mechanical damage, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Tuesday. She added that Russia considers the incident a violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

According to Zakharova, the incident occurred on July 30 near the illegal Israeli settlement of Giv'at Asaf, located just east of Ramallah and about 20 kilometers north of Jerusalem. She said the settlers also shouted threats at the diplomats. The spokeswoman slammed the Israeli military’s failure to intervene, denouncing their inaction “particularly puzzling.”

“The Israeli Defense Force soldiers didn’t even bother to try and stop the attackers’ aggressive actions,” she said.

The vehicle was carrying members of Russia’s diplomatic mission to the Palestinian Authority, who are also accredited with Israel’s Foreign Ministry, according to Moscow.

“We regard this incident as a blatant violation of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations,” Zakharova said, adding that the Russian embassy in Tel Aviv has submitted an official note to the Israeli authorities.

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Last month, the Kremlin reiterated that the only solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict lies in the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel. “Russia has always adhered to a two-state solution as the basis for resolving the Palestinian issue,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists.

Moscow’s recognition dates back to 1988, when the Soviet Union endorsed the Palestinian declaration of independence.

The statement comes amid the conflict in Gaza, which began in October 2023 after a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel left around 1,200 people dead. Israel’s military response has since killed more than 59,000 Palestinians, according to the health authorities in the enclave, and has drawn global criticism for the scale of destruction and civilian casualties.