Russian warships anchored off the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea to prepare the evacuation of Russians in the area, should the conflict in Gaza escalate, The Voice of Russia quoted a Russian Navy Command source on Friday.
“The detachment of combat ships of the Black Sea Fleet, including the Guards missile cruiser Moskva, the patrol ship Smetliviy, large landing ships Novocherkassk and Saratov, the sea tug MB-304 and the big sea tanker Ivan Bubnov, got the order to remain in the designated area of the Eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea for a possible evacuation of Russian citizens from the area of the Gaza strip in case of escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict”, the spokesperson said.
He added that ship crew members will continue routine combat training, maintenance of equipment and weapons along with other military services.
Meanwhile, Israeli troops fired on Gazans surging toward Israel's border fence Friday, killing one person but leaving intact the fragile two-day-old cease-fire between Hamas and the Jewish state.
The truce, which calls for an end to Gaza rocket fire on Israel and Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, came after eight days of cross-border fighting, the bloodiest between Israel and Hamas in four years.
In a letter to the U.N. Security Council, the Palestinian U.N. Observer Riyad Mansour called the situation in Gaza “extremely fragile” and said Israel's cease-fire violations and other illegal actions risk undermining the calm that was just restored. He called on the Security Council and the international community “to remain vigilant in their demands for a complete cessation of hostilities and for compliance by Israel.”
The truce allowed both Hamas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to step back from the brink of a full-fledged war. Over eight days, Israel’s aircraft carried out some 1,500 strikes on Hamas-linked targets, while Gaza fighters fired roughly the same number of rockets at Israel.
The fighting killed 166 Palestinians, including scores of civilians, and 6 Israelis. More than 1,230 Palestinians were injured, predominantly women and children.
In Cairo, Egypt is hosting separate talks with Israeli and Hamas envoys on the next phase of the cease-fire - a new border deal for blockaded Gaza. Hamas demands an end to border restrictions, while Israel insists Hamas halt weapons smuggling to Gaza.
A poll Friday showed about half of Israelis thinks their government should have continued its Gaza offensive.
The independent Maagar Mohot poll showed 49% of respondents felt Israel should have kept pursuing squads that fire rockets into Israel, 31% supported the decision to stop and 20% had no opinion.
Source: Al Arabiya; Voice of Russia - Photo: Ria Novosti
