Israel: PM Naftali Bennett announces 100 tons of humanitarian aid for war-torn Ukraine

Israel Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Sunday said that a plane will arrive in Ukraine with 100 tons of Israeli humanitarian aid for the civilians in the combat zones to alleviate the sufferings of the Ukrainians as Russia continues assaults inside Kyiv for the third day. NIS 10 million ($3.07 million) package in aid to Ukraine will be for the Jewish community as Russia’s military launches offensive, Israel's External Affairs Ministry had said in a statement.

"This decision comes from the unique mandate of the State of Israel, and in particular, its Diaspora Ministry, as the nation-state of the Jewish people, to support Jewish individuals and communities in harm’s way,” the ministry said, as per Times of Israel. “It’s become quite clear at this stage that both immediate and ongoing support is needed," it added. 

Israel PM had also spoken with the Russian leader Vladimir Putin to discuss the escalating war as Moscow invaded Kyiv and the intense battle ensued between the forces on Sunday, his office informed on Twitter. 

“Prime Minister Naftali Bennett spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin this afternoon Sunday. The two discussed the situation between Russia and Ukraine,” tweeted Israeli Prime Minister Bennett’s office. The talks between Israel and Moscow come as Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelensky had asked Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett to undertake a mediator in talks with Russia, Ukraine's UNIAN news agency had reported.

Israel PM Bennett was likely to mediate in Russian Ukraine conflict

During a phone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Friday this week, Ukraine’s President Zelensky had appealed to Jerusalem to make contact with Russia and help resolve the military conflict between the countries. The call was made as Russian forces launched an all-out attack on Ukraine’s capital and made advancements into the civilian areas and bombed the infrastructure. At the time, Israel’s Kan news confirmed that Ukraine’s Ambassador to Israel Yevgen Korniychuk and an unnamed Israeli official have arranged for a dialogue between the two leaders and Bennett would likely mediate in the Russian Ukraine conflict. 

“We do believe that Israel is the only democratic state in the world that has great relations with both Ukraine and Russia,” Korniychuk had told NY Times. He added that Bennett did not give an immediate answer at the time. “They [Israel Prime Minister] didn’t say no,” he said. “They are trying to figure out where they are in this chess play.” He also informed that Ukraine’s leader revealed that he would be “more comfortable” to hold talks with Russia in Jerusalem than in Russia’s ally nation Belarus. Zelensky had told Bennett: “We want the negotiations to take place in Jerusalem. We think that Israel is the country that could hold such negotiations in the middle of the war.” But as Kremlin sent a delegation in Minsk, and President Vladimir Putin addressed via Belarusian counterpart that an opportunity for peace talks must not be stalled, Ukraine agreed to send a delegation to Belarus.