MOSCOW

Russia is "extremely concerned" about what is happening in the Gaza Strip, head of Tatarstan region Rustam Minnikhanov said on Tuesday. 

"Our country is extremely concerned about the worsening situation in the Middle East, the bloody fighting in the Gaza Strip, the numerous victims, and the huge humanitarian disaster there," Minnikhanov said, speaking at a meeting of the Russia-Islamic World group in Moscow.

Russia insists on the implementation of the decisions of the UN Security Council, first of all, for the establishment of an independent sovereign Palestinian state, he emphasized.

Minnikhanov also condemned the actions of burning of holy Quran copies in Denmark and Sweden in 2023, noting that such actions caused a wave of indignation in the Islamic world and were strongly condemned in Russia.

"The president of our country, Vladimir Putin, called such actions a crime. The Russian Orthodox Church described them as unacceptable vandalism," he underscored.

Minnikhanov noted that in today's "difficult time," in the context of a crisis in international relations, cooperation among Muslim countries is becoming particularly important.

"Expanding cooperation with Muslim countries is one of the priorities of Russian foreign policy," he stressed.

For his part, addressing the gathering, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko said the events in the Middle East came to the fore of Russia's relations with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

"We attach great importance to strengthening friendly relations between the Russian Federation and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. ... A steady political dialogue has been established on topical issues on the international agenda. ... And today, the Middle East theme has reasonably come to the fore of it," he said.

Rudenko said "significant results" have been achieved for almost two decades of joint work after Russia received observer status at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in 2005, and that Russia eyes further enhancement of ties.

Israel has launched a deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip following a cross-border incursion by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023. The ensuing Israeli bombardment has killed over 30,600 people and injured more than 72,000 others with mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.