Netanyahu talks to Putin for first time in months, criticizes Russian ties to Iran

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke on the phone for almost an hour on Sunday, for the first time since mid-October.

The Prime Minister’s Office said Netanyahu sharply criticized the “dangerous” cooperation between Russia and Iran, and expressed his “dissatisfaction” with the anti-Israeli stance of Russian representatives at the United Nations.

Netanyahu also expressed his appreciation for Russia's effort to release an Israeli citizen with Russian citizenship and requested that Russia apply pressure on the International Red Cross regarding making wellness visits and the delivery of medicines for the other Israeli hostages held by Hamas.

According to a Kremlin statement regarding the call, the discussion focused on “the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip,” with Putin saying that Israel’s response to the Hamas terrorists mustn’t lead “to such dire consequences for the civilian population.”

Netanyahu emphasized that any country that had been struck with a brutal terror attack like Israel experienced would have reacted with no less force than what Israel has chosen to employ.