Key Points
- Impartial actor under constraints: Over the past two decades, Russia has sought to establish balanced relations with key players in the Middle East. However, recent geopolitical pressures have limited its flexibility, leading to a more asymmetrical approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
- Support for the Palestinian position: In multilateral forums, particularly at the United Nations, Russia has largely aligned with Palestinian diplomatic discourse, while giving almost no importance to the attacks carried out by Hamas on October 7, 2023.
- Pragmatic but cooled relations with Israel: While relations with Israel have deteriorated, they remain pragmatic. Russian elites tend to view this cooling as a tactical rather than strategic rupture.
- Domestic political dimension: Limiting public mobilization around the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in order to preserve internal stability and avoid visible polarization, while using Israeli military operations in Gaza to reinforce Russia’s discourse on the military attack in Ukraine.
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to join the “Council for Peace in Gaza.” Putin reacted positively to this initiative and the invitation itself. Competent government authorities were tasked with conducting a detailed evaluation of the political and financial implications of participating in the proposed mechanism. Putin suggested that the required Russian contribution of one billion dollars be drawn from Russian sovereign assets still frozen in Western financial institutions. Seizing this opportunity, the Russian President also reiterated Moscow’s declared concern for the future of the Palestinian people and the prospects for a comprehensive political settlement.
The Soviet Union (USSR), and later the Russian Federation as the internationally recognized legal successor, have consistently sought to play a visible role in efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. However, over the decades, the intensity of this engagement and the guiding conceptual foundations have evolved significantly. These variations have reflected broader changes in Moscow’s foreign policy priorities, its understanding of global power dynamics, and its perception of the Middle East’s place in the evolving international system. Different historical periods have been characterized by distinct strategic assumptions regarding Russia’s regional role, its relations with key local players, and the diplomatic instruments deemed appropriate to defend its interests.
This briefing examines the key factors shaping Russian policy towards the Israel-Hamas war and the regional and international repercussions of this conflict. Rather than viewing Moscow’s position after October 7, 2023, as an isolated and strictly circumstantial reaction, the analysis embeds it within a longer trajectory of policy evolution. Special attention is paid to structural constraints, accumulated diplomatic practices, and changing geopolitical contexts that have influenced Russian decision-making.
For analytical clarity, the evolution of the Russian Federation’s position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is divided into three major chronological phases. The first covers the period from the early 2000s to February 2022. The second spans from the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in February 2022 to October 2023. The third begins after October 7, 2023, following Israel’s launch of the military operation “Iron Swords” in the Gaza Strip.
>> This briefing is available in English only.
