Israel National News reports: “Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday lashed out at Israel over its operations in Gaza, saying they amounted to the ‘complete elimination of the civilian population’ in the Strip.

During a dialogue with delegates from foreign news agencies, including AFP, Putin said, ‘What is currently happening in Gaza in response to the terrorist attack on Israel does not resemble a war at all. It is akin to the complete elimination of the civilian population.’

Putin also said that no power should try to monopolize the search for peace in the Middle East and that Russia is trying to make a contribution to these efforts.

The Russian President said that the United States also has a key role to play and that Washington and Moscow should work to find agreements…”