Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the ongoing escalation of the Middle East crisis is caused by the aggressive policies pursued by Israel, with the support of the United States.

Lavrov added in statements published by the Russia Today agency: "The situation in the Middle East continues to deteriorate as a direct result of Israel's aggressive policies, militarization, and Washington's desire to monopolize mediation functions and sacrifice UN Security Council resolutions."

He pointed out that Israel's desire to ensure its security at the expense of the security of other countries in the region is a futile idea and will cause problems in relations with the Arab world for many years to come.

Lavrov stressed that the next step in overcoming the acute phase of the crisis must lie in creating conditions for a two-state solution, and said: "To achieve this goal, we must first and foremost rely on the positions of the countries of the region, and not on the positions of those who are trying to impose their dictates."