In his speech at the Doha Forum, the Russian foreign minister advocated for international monitoring of the situation in Gaza. He criticized Israel’s collective punishment of Palestinians due to the recent Hamas offensive, citing decades of unfulfilled promises and a blockade in Gaza. He expressed concern about the high number of casualties in Gaza and referred to it as a “cancel culture” war. Russian President Vladimir Putin also condemned the US veto of a UN resolution for a ceasefire in Gaza and suggested Russia could mediate the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In a phone conversation between Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, both leaders expressed their disagreements over their respective positions on the conflict. Lavrov also discussed the Russia-Ukraine conflict, calling it a “hybrid war” by the US and NATO. He criticized Ukraine for de-Russification efforts, which sparked a response from Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy defending their actions.