MOSCOW. Nov 7 (Interfax) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has discussed the situation in the Gaza Strip and Russian citizens' evacuation from the enclave with Hussein al-Sheikh, Palestinian minister for civil affairs, Palestine Liberation Organization Executive Committee secretary, and Fatah Central Committee member, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.
"During the talks, the parties focused on developments in the situation in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict zone, in particular, on the ongoing largescale armed confrontation in the Gaza Strip," the ministry said in a statement published on its website.
Lavrov "highlighted the need for the soonest possible ceasefire to prevent further civilian casualties, expanding the amounts of humanitarian aid being delivered to the Gaza Strip, and for the immediate evacuation of Russian citizens from the enclave."
"The Russian side reiterated its stance in support of a just solution to the Palestinian problem based on the known international legal framework, which envisages the establishment of an independent Palestinian state within the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, coexisting in peace and security with Israel," the ministry said.
"Everything is ready for the start of the evacuation of Russians, compatriots and CIS citizens from Gaza. Unfortunately, there is no consent of the Israeli side, which approves the lists of those departing via the Rafah border crossing," a diplomatic source said earlier on Tuesday.
"The Russian embassy repeatedly raised this question and received assurances that it would be resolved positively," the source said.
"Moscow hopes for Israel's speedy unblocking of this evacuation problem," he said.
On October 7, the Hamas radical group based in Gaza attacked Israel. Over 1,400 people were killed in the attack. The Israel Defense Forces launched a military operation against Hamas in retaliation. As a result, over 10,000 people were killed in the enclave.