Israel’s military offensive in the Gaza Strip is tantamount to “collective punishment,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said as the death toll in the enclave nears 40,000, Anadolu Agency reports.

Addressing reporters at the UN’s New York headquarters, Lavrov condemned the October 7 cross-border attack on Israel by Hamas, maintaining the Kremlin has consistently done so since the raid occurred.

But he maintained that Israel’s retaliatory campaign has crossed the line and is now a form of “collective punishment” on the territory’s 2.3 million Palestinians.

“When it comes to collective punishment in violation of international humanitarian law, one cannot fight against one form of violation through other violations. It’s the same principle here,” he said in response to a reporter’s question.