by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Worthy News Jerusalem Bureau Staff
MOSCOW/JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a rare phone conversation Monday focusing on regional stability, the Gaza peace proposal backed by Washington, and ongoing Middle East tensions, according to official statements from both sides.
The Kremlin said the two leaders discussed “current developments in the Middle East,” with particular attention to U.S. President Donald J. Trump’s 20-point plan for ending the war in Gaza. Putin reaffirmed Moscow’s stance “in favor of a comprehensive settlement of the Palestinian issue within the framework of international law.”
Netanyahu and Putin also reviewed the Iranian nuclear question and efforts to stabilize Syria, a country where both Russia and Iran maintain a military presence that continues to concern Israel. The conversation reportedly reflected an ongoing effort by Netanyahu to balance Israel’s security interests with Moscow’s influence in the region.
According to Israeli broadcaster KAN News, Netanyahu’s government has recently been working to reduce tensions between the United States and Russia amid the continuing war in Ukraine. The Kremlin, meanwhile, continues to emphasize its close relationships with Palestinian factions, including Hamas.
Earlier this year, after the release of Russian-Israeli hostage Sasha Troufanov, Putin publicly credited the group’s leadership. “Your release is a result of Russia’s long-standing ties with Palestinians, their representatives, and various organizations. We should thank Hamas’s leadership for this humanitarian act,” Putin told the former hostage and his family.
The call also included personal gestures — Netanyahu extended birthday greetings to the Russian leader, who in turn wished Israel well on the Jewish festival of Sukkot.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
More Worthy News
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán says he hopes to convince U.S. President Donald J. Trump to exempt Hungary from new American sanctions targeting Russian oil companies, citing his nation’s heavy dependence on pipeline energy supplies.
Tens of thousands of protesters rallied in Serbia’s northern city of Novi Sad on Saturday to mark one year since a railway station roof collapse killed 16 people — an accident many blame on government corruption and negligence.
One of Europe’s largest music gatherings, the Sziget Festival, faces an uncertain future after the Budapest City Council failed to approve a new land-use agreement for the Óbudai-sziget (Óbuda Island) venue, where the event has been held since 1993.
The Pentagon has approved plans to supply Ukraine with Tomahawk long-range missiles, while preparing to scale back the U.S. military presence in Eastern Europe, signaling a significant shift in America’s strategy toward both the war and its NATO military alliance commitments.
The NATO military alliance is on heightened alert across Eastern Europe after Lithuania and neighboring Baltic nations accused Belarus and Russia of orchestrating a surge in “hybrid” airspace incursions involving balloons, drones, and fighter jets. Officials say the pattern of provocations reflects Moscow’s widening confrontation with the West amid its ongoing war in Ukraine.
Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) say they have detained several of their own fighters following global outrage over this month’s alleged massacres in the besieged city of El Fasher, but church monitors and human-rights advocates warn that civilians — including Christians — remain in grave danger.
The United Nations’ nuclear watchdog has warned that Russia’s ongoing strikes in neighboring Ukraine have damaged nuclear substations, potentially threatening the region and the rest of Europe.