(MENAFN) Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated on Friday that achieving a durable resolution in the Middle East is unattainable without the creation of a Palestinian state.

During a media briefing in Moscow, Zakharova noted that the ongoing catastrophe in the Gaza Strip — which has taken the lives of tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians over more than two years — together with rising unrest in the West Bank, demonstrates that the Palestinian question remains central to the region’s dynamics.

She stressed that "Resolving it significantly influences the chances of attaining enduring peace and stability across the entire region," highlighting the issue’s far-reaching implications.

Zakharova reiterated that overcoming this long-standing problem requires exclusively political and diplomatic efforts grounded in established UN resolutions.

According to her, "It is our conviction that without establishing an independent, territorially contiguous state of Palestine coexisting harmoniously and securely alongside Israel, the much-anticipated peace in the Middle East cannot materialize."

Turning to events in Sudan, Zakharova commented on the seizure of El Fasher by the paramilitary Rapid Reaction Forces, drawing attention to extensive accounts of severe violence, executions, and ethnically targeted attacks against civilians.

She added that "Approximately 200,000 people, including tens of thousands of women and children, remain trapped in the city under dire humanitarian conditions," underscoring the severity of the crisis.

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