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Kremlin, on Trump’s Gaza Comments, Says Russia Backs Palestinian State Alongside Israel 

People walk past the rubble of destroyed buildings, in Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip, January 30, 2025. (Reuters) 
People walk past the rubble of destroyed buildings, in Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip, January 30, 2025. (Reuters) 
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Kremlin, on Trump’s Gaza Comments, Says Russia Backs Palestinian State Alongside Israel 

People walk past the rubble of destroyed buildings, in Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip, January 30, 2025. (Reuters) 
People walk past the rubble of destroyed buildings, in Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip, January 30, 2025. (Reuters) 

Russia believes a settlement in the Middle East is only possible on the basis of a two-state solution, the Kremlin said on Wednesday after US President Donald Trump said he would like the United States to take over and redevelop the Gaza Strip.

Trump, who has previously proposed the permanent resettlement of more than 2 million Palestinians from Gaza to neighboring countries, said Gaza could become "the Riviera of the Middle East".

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated Moscow's position that the only way to resolve the Middle East conflict was through the creation of a Palestinian state to exist side-by-side with Israel.

"This is the thesis that is enshrined in the relevant UN Security Council resolution, this is the thesis that is shared by the overwhelming majority of countries involved in this problem. We proceed from it, we support it and believe that this is the only possible option," he told reporters.

Peskov added that Trump's resettlement idea had been rejected by major Arab capitals.

Forced displacement of Gaza's population would likely be a violation of international law and would be fiercely opposed not only in the region but also by Washington's Western allies. Some human rights advocates liken the idea to ethnic cleansing.

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China Says Military Exercises Near Taiwan Punishment for 'Separatism'

Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te holds a press conference in Taipei, Taiwan February 14, 2025. REUTERS/Ann Wang/File Photo
Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te holds a press conference in Taipei, Taiwan February 14, 2025. REUTERS/Ann Wang/File Photo
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China Says Military Exercises Near Taiwan Punishment for 'Separatism'

Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te holds a press conference in Taipei, Taiwan February 14, 2025. REUTERS/Ann Wang/File Photo
Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te holds a press conference in Taipei, Taiwan February 14, 2025. REUTERS/Ann Wang/File Photo

Chinese military exercises near Taiwan on Monday were punishment for Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te's continued promotion of "separatism", according to a stern statement out of Beijing, as Taiwan hit back by calling China a troublemaker.

China, which has never renounced the use of force to bring democratically governed Taiwan under its control, has stepped up military and political pressure against the island in recent years.

Taiwan's defence ministry said China had carried out "joint combat readiness patrols" - one in the morning and one in the afternoon - sending 54 Chinese warplanes including J-10 jets and drones to areas near Taiwan.

It said the Chinese aircraft flew in airspace to the north, west, southwest and east of Taiwan, and that Taiwanese air and naval forces were dispatched to keep watch, Reuters reported.

Among them, 42 planes crossed the Taiwan Strait's median line, an unofficial buffer between the two sides, the ministry said.

If the Lai administration "dares to provoke and play with fire, it will only bring about its own destruction," a spokesperson for China's Taiwan Affairs Office said in the statement.

Taiwan routinely reports such military activity by China, but China's government very rarely offers comment on them.

Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council said Beijing had continued to threaten the island militarily, raising tensions in the Taiwan Strait and destabilizing regional peace and stability.

The Chinese Communist Party is a "troublemaker" in every sense of the word, the council said, urging ally countries to stop China's military expansion.

Taiwan's security officials have said China was trying to normalize drills near Taiwan, carrying out such patrols near the island every 7-10 days on average.

Lai said last week that China had deepened its influence campaigns and infiltration against the island, pledging measures to tackle Beijing's efforts to "absorb" Taiwan.

China views Taiwan as its territory, a claim rejected by the government in Taipei.

Lai has repeatedly offered talks with Beijing but has been rebuffed. He says only Taiwan's people can decide their future.