Key Takeaways

• Unbiased actor under constraint: Over the past two decades, Russia sought balanced relations with key Middle Eastern actors. However, recent geopolitical pressures have constrained its flexibility, leading to a more asymmetrical approach to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. 
• Support for the Palestinian Position: In multilateral forums, particularly the United Nations, Russia has largely aligned with Palestinian diplomatic narratives, while giving almost zero emphasis to the 7 October 2023 attacks carried out by the Hamas. 
• Pragmatic but Cooled Relations with Israel: Although relations with Israel have deteriorated, they remain pragmatic. Russian elites tend to view the downturn as tactical rather than a strategic rupture. 
• Domestic Policy Dimension: Limit public mobilization around the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, aiming to preserve domestic stability and prevent visible polarization, while using the case of Israeli military operations in Gaza to reinforce Russia’s own narrative regarding the military assault in Ukraine.

President of the United States Donald Trump invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to join the Gaza Board of Peace. The Russian leader, on the one hand, reacted positively to the initiative and to the invitation itself, and the relevant governmental agencies were instructed to conduct a detailed assessment of the political and financial implications of participation in the proposed mechanism. On the other hand, Putin suggested that the required Russian contribution of $1 billion should be drawn from Russian sovereign assets that remain frozen in Western financial institutions. Importantly, the Russian president used this occasion to emphasize once again Moscow’s declared concern for the future of the Palestinian people and for the prospects of a comprehensive political settlement. 

The Soviet Union (USSR), and subsequently the Russian Federation as its internationally recognized legal successor, has consistently sought to play a visible role in efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Over the decades, however, both the intensity of this involvement and the conceptual foundations that guided it have undergone significant change. These variations reflected broader shifts in Moscow’s foreign-policy priorities, in its understanding of global power dynamics, and in its perception of the Middle East’s place within the evolving international system. Different historical periods were characterized by distinct strategic assumptions regarding Russia’s regional role, its relations with key local actors, and the diplomatic instruments considered appropriate for advancing its interests. 

This Memo examines the main factors that have shaped Russian policy toward Israel’s war with Hamas and the subsequent regional and international ramifications of this conflict. Rather than treating Moscow’s position after October 7, 2023, as an isolated and purely situational reaction, the analysis deliberately situates it within a longer trajectory of policy evolution. Particular attention is paid to structural constraints, accumulated diplomatic practices, and the changing geopolitical contexts that influenced Russian decision-making. 

For analytical clarity, the evolution of the Russian Federation’s position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is divided into three broad chronological phases. The first phase encompasses the period from the early 2000s until February 2022. The second spans the period from the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in February 2022 to October 2023. The third phase begins after October 7, 2023, following the launch of Israel’s military operation “Iron Swords” in the Gaza Strip.