Russia Warns Nuclear Weapons Threat Becoming More Dire

A Russian official has warned that nuclear threats made by Israeli officials in relation to the war in Gaza are becoming more escalatory, calling them "provocative and unacceptable."

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has commented numerous times this week regarding Israel's nuclear arsenal, with her most recent remarks expressed on Thursday claiming that such provocative statements associated with nuclear use is proof that Israel has such weapons in its stockpile.

Israel's far-right Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu was suspended on Sunday by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following comments made on a radio show. He suggested that an atomic weapon could be "one option" to target Hamas militants in the ongoing war in the Middle East.

Revital "Tally" Gotliv, a member of Israel's parliament, the Knesset, for the Likud political party, has also made calls for Israel to resort to a "doomsday" weapon to target those responsible for killing thousands and taking hostages on October 7. She specifically referenced the "Jericho" ballistic missile program developed in the 1960s.

"Against the background of Israel's historical policy of uncertainty regarding its possession of nuclear weapons, these statements not only clearly confirm the presence of such weapons in this country, but also demonstrate the readiness to seriously consider the possibility to use them in completely inappropriate scenarios," Zakharova said on Thursday, according to Russian state-owned media network Tass.

She added: "This is a serious reason to think about where the extremist-minded representatives of Israel may end up as they realize they can do anything in the conditions of virtually unlimited patronage from the West."

The Russian Foreign Ministry posted on X, formerly Twitter, that the U.S. is "blocking peace initiatives for a ceasefire in Gaza."

Arkady Moshes, program director for the EU Eastern Neighborhood and Russia research program at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, told Newsweek via email that Zakharova's remarks may simply be part of a Russian playbook that absolves itself of its own culpability based on the nation's consistent nuclear threats made since it invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

"Moscow may simply see an opportunity to blame Israel and the West, and some countries may find this criticism appropriate and even convincing," Moshes said. "This does not need to be connected with Russia's own actions in the nuclear sphere."

The United States was brought up by Zakharova in relation to her comments, essentially viewing the nation as complicit by "conniving" with and supporting Israel as an ally.

Newsweek reached out to Zakharova and the U.S. State Department via email for comment.

Such views have been shared across the U.S., including by a number of members of Congress—including the only politician of Palestinian descent, Democrat Rashida Tlaib—who have repeatedly called for the Biden administration to institute a ceasefire.

The White House gained some ground in that regard on Thursday, however, as Israel agreed to implement daily 4-hour humanitarian pauses in northern Gaza starting Thursday. Announcements will be made three hours before the pauses commence.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters Thursday that the move by Israel is "a significant step forward in the right direction, including for the protection of civilians."