Russia wants to use conflict in Israel to reduce Western support and attention to Ukraine - ISW

This is said in a report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Ukrinform reports.

Thus, Russia has blamed the West for neglecting conflicts in the Middle East in favor of supporting Ukraine and claiming the international community will cease to pay attention to Ukraine.

Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev claimed the United States and its allies should have been “busy with” working on “Palestinian-Israeli settlement” rather than “interfering” with Russia and providing Ukraine with military aid. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) accused the West of blocking efforts by a necessary “quartet” of Russia, the US, the European Union, and the United Nations, leading to an escalation in violence in Israel.

Russian propagandists also claim that Russia will benefit from the escalation as the world “will take its mind off Ukraine for a while and get busy once again putting out the eternal fire in the Middle East”.

As reported, a massive rocket attack was launched on the central and southern regions of Israel on Saturday morning. At least 250 people were killed in the large-scale attack by Hamas on Israel.

Mohammed Deif, a senior Hamas military commander, announced the start of the operation in a broadcast on media, calling on Palestinians everywhere to fight. He claimed that 5,000 rockets had been launched into Israel. Israel said that 2,200 rockets had been fired.

The Israeli defence minister approved the call-up of military reservists; the number of reservists to be called up will depend on the IDF needs. The Israeli army announced the start of the operation “Swords of Iron" in response to the Hamas attack.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that the country is at war. The United States, the EU, Ukraine and a number of other countries have condemned the attacks on Israel.