Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stressed that peace in the Middle East is impossible without resolving the Palestinian issue.

In his speech at the ministerial meeting of the strategic dialogue between the Gulf Cooperation Council and Russia, which is being held at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, Lavrov said that the international community "failed to stop the aggression and mass killing in Gaza," stressing that the current violence against the Palestinians "is unprecedented, and has not been witnessed in any of the Arab-Israeli wars."

For his part, Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani praised the Russian efforts to cease fire in the Gaza Strip, saying: "We are counting on regional and international partners to pressure for a ceasefire in Gaza."

The meeting between Russia and the GCC countries will discuss issues of enhancing regional security, resolving crises, and the state of the global economy.