Russia's foreign minister says halting aid to the Hamas-led Palestinian government is a mistake.
Sergei Lavrov's comments Tuesday in Moscow came just days after the United States and the European Union suspended direct aid to the Palestinian government.
Lavrov said the funding cut-off will only serve to further destabilize the region. He said the only way to ensure that Hamas meets Western demands is to engage the Hamas leadership.
The U.S. and EU are demanding that Hamas renounce terrorism and recognize Israel's right to exist.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.
