Vladimir Putin says civilian toll from Israeli ground attack in Gaza would be ‘unacceptable’
- Russian leader was speaking after Israel’s military called for 1 million civilians of Gaza to relocate within 24 hours, as it amassed tanks ahead of invasion
- Putin, whose own military has devastated Ukraine and killed thousands, said using heavy weaponry in residential areas was ‘fraught with serious consequences’
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday an Israeli ground offensive in Gaza would result in a level of civilian casualties that would be “absolutely unacceptable”.
Putin was speaking after Israel’s military called for all civilians of Gaza City – more than 1 million people – to relocate south within 24 hours, as it amassed tanks ahead of an expected ground invasion in response to a devastating weekend attack by the Islamist militant group Hamas.
Putin, whose own military has wrought devastation in Ukraine and killed thousands of civilians in nearly 20 months of war, said that using heavy weaponry in residential areas was “fraught with serious consequences for all sides”.
“And most importantly, the civilian casualties will be absolutely unacceptable. Now the main thing is to stop the bloodshed,” he said, speaking at a summit in Kyrgyzstan with other countries that were once part of the Soviet Union.
Putin said, however, that Israel had the right to defend itself after being subjected to “an attack unprecedented in its cruelty”.
He called for collective efforts to secure an early ceasefire and stabilise the situation on the ground.