MOSCOW, October 21 Champion of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) In the lightweight division, Russian Islam Makhachev said that he would not celebrate his victory over Australian Alexander Volkanovski because of current events in the world, expressing support for Palestine.
On Saturday, Makhachev defended his championship title by defeating featherweight belt holder Volkanovski at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi. The Russian knocked out his opponent in the first round. The first fight between the fighters took place in February and ended with Makhachev’s victory by unanimous decision.
«»I'm not celebrating victory today because of the crazy events that are happening in the world right now. Palestine, we are with you. Stop it! Our prayers are with you. Palestine, we are with you. Gaza Strip, we are with you,» — Makhachev said after the fight.
On the morning of October 7, Israel was subjected to an unprecedented-scale rocket attack from the Gaza Strip as part of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, announced by the military wing of the Palestinian Hamas movement. In addition, after massive rocket attacks, the organization’s fighters penetrated into the border areas in southern Israel. In response, the Israel Defense Forces launched Operation Iron Swords against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Within days of the attack, the Israeli military took control of all settlements near the Gaza border and began conducting air strikes on targets, including civilians, in the strip. Israel also announced a complete blockade of the Gaza Strip: the supply of water, food, electricity, medicine, and fuel was suspended.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health reported on Saturday afternoon that the number of victims in the Gaza Strip had reached 4,385 people, with over 13 thousand injured. In Israel, according to local authorities, more than 1,300 people were killed. The Russian Embassy reported that during the escalation of the conflict, 19 Russians were killed, two were taken hostage, and seven were listed as missing. According to various sources, about 150 Israelis may be held captive by Hamas. The movement itself stated that there are about 200-250 prisoners in the Gaza Strip.
The Russian Foreign Ministry called on the parties to stop hostilities. According to the position of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the settlement of the Middle East crisis is possible only on the basis of a “two-state” formula approved by the UN Security Council, which provides for the creation of an independent Palestinian state within the 1967 borders with its capital in East Jerusalem.