MOSCOW, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that only the establishment of a fully functioning Palestinian state can bring a lasting resolution to the Middle East conflict.

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during his annual press conference in Moscow, Russia, Dec. 19, 2024. (Photo: Xinhua)

Putin made the remarks during a meeting with his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas in Moscow, adding that Russia's approach to the Middle East conflict "is principled and not subject to short-term political expediency."

Putin also noted that Russia had provided vital humanitarian aid to Gaza at the height of the region's crisis, including over 800 tons of aid and some 32 humanitarian operations.

Abbas told Putin that Palestinian lands have suffered immense harm under Israeli occupation, which has brought widespread destruction to the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and Jerusalem.

"The number of killed and wounded in the Gaza Strip has reached 260,000, with thousands more injured in the West Bank," he said, adding that the Gaza Strip has been virtually levelled, with 85 percent of its infrastructure destroyed.

"We categorically oppose the attempts by the United States and Israel to expel Palestinians from their ancestral homeland," Abbas said. "The Palestinian people are resolute in their determination to remain on their land, no matter the cost."