Russian President Vladimir Putin has raised concerns about what he described as the “catastrophic increase” in the number of civilians killed in Israel and the Gaza Strip after days of fighting between Hamas and the Israeli military.

Putin reportedly expressed his concern during a phone call with Turkish leader Recep Erdogan.

Reports say, earlier on Tuesday, Putin called the creation of a Palestinian state “necessary” and blamed the latest explosion of violence on US policy in the region.

Recall that Putin’s military has also been accused of killing thousands of civilians since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year.