Putin and Leaders of Syria, Iran, Egypt, and Palestine Discuss Immediate Gaza Ceasefire

Prior to speaking with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a series of discussions with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. According to the Kremlin readout, “the massive escalation of hostilities that have led to a catastrophic increase in civilian casualties and a deepening humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip” were reviewed, and all five “agreed on the need [to] immediately cease fire and to establish a humanitarian truce in order to provide urgent help to those in need.”