Russia warns escalating conflict in Middle East could have catastrophic consequences for region

MOSCOW

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned on Thursday that the escalating conflict in the Middle East could have catastrophic consequences for the entire region.

Speaking at a press briefing in Moscow, he highlighted the severe impact on civilians, saying "tens and hundreds of thousands" of people are suffering as a result of the ongoing violence.

"Unfortunately, the battleground is already expanding. The Lebanese front has now been added. All of this, naturally, leads to the destruction of civilian infrastructure. Tens and hundreds of thousands of people are losing their homes, livelihoods, and jobs," he said, referring to the relentless Israeli forcing bombardments of Lebanon and Gaza.

Regarding possible Moscow responses to further escalation, particularly concerning the Russian-operated Hmeimim Air Base in Syria, Peskov declined to speculate, saying "It is unlikely that any eventual reasoning is appropriate here."

Israel has mounted massive airstrikes across Lebanon against what it claims Hezbollah targets since Sept. 23, killing at least 1,323 people, injuring over 3,700 others, and displacing more than 1.2 million people.

The aerial campaign was an escalation in yearlong cross-border warfare between Israel and Hezbollah since the start of Tel Aviv’s brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip that has killed over 42,000 people, mostly women and children, since a Hamas attack last year.

Despite international warnings that the Middle East region was on the brink of a regional war amid Israel’s relentless attacks on Gaza and Lebanon, Tel Aviv expanded the conflict by launching on Oct. 1 a ground invasion into southern Lebanon.