Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on Sunday his government was proceeding "with moderation and responsibility" on a conflict testing its ties to Kyiv and Moscow.
Speaking on television after a weekly cabinet meeting, Bennett made no mention of Ukrainian appeals on Israel to mediate in the crisis with Russia.
"We pray for the wellbeing of the citizens of Ukraine and hope that further bloodshed is prevented," Bennett said. "We are conducting ourselves with moderation and responsibility".
He said Israel is sending 100 tons of humanitarian aid to Ukraine, including water-purification kits, medical equipment and tents. According to Reuters, it will arrive within days.
Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked, a Bennett confidante, on Saturday told Israel's Channel 12 TV that the mediation request by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was "being attended to" but would not be drawn on the matter further.
This came after Ukraine's ambassador to Israel, Yevgen Korniychuk, confirmed that his country wants Israel to intercede on behalf of Kyiv with Russian President Vladimir Putin and halt the invasion.
Korniychuk said his country is looking forward to Israel's diplomatic mediation efforts.
"We always look to Israel as one of the most prominent possible intermediaries for Mr. Putin."
Korniychuk stated that Ukraine was glad to hear Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid's condemnation of Russia's attack.
But what is more critical is the extent of the behind-the-scenes diplomacy that Israel can accomplish on behalf of Ukraine by speaking to Moscow on its behalf, he explained.
The envoy's statement reinforced Israeli reports about an official Ukrainian request for Israel's mediation.
The Israeli Kan channel said that Ukraine asked Israel to mediate with Russia to reach a ceasefire.
The channel quoted Israeli and Ukrainian sources saying that the request for Israeli mediation was made on the call between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Friday.
Zelenskyy suggested holding the talks in Jerusalem rather than Minsk, the capital of Belarus, a close ally of Moscow.
Korniychuk confirmed that Netanyahu spoke with Russia on behalf of Ukraine in the past, and Bennett discussed it when he met Putin in Sochi last October, which enraged the latter who described Zelensky as a "Nazi."
Putin advised Israel to stay away from this issue.
