Moscow hopes that Israel and Gaza will have a sustainable ceasefire, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.

"Moscow is satisfied with coming reports about a truce between Israel and the Gaza Strip. We are hoping that it will help to halt the armed confrontation, the most massive since 2014, between the Israelis and Palestinians," the foreign ministry said.

"We expect that it [the ceasefire] will be sustainable and lasting and will give the world an opportunity to intensify work in order to alleviate the deplorable humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and to achieve a fair solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict basing on the known international legislation," it said.

"Steps causing civilian casualties and destruction of civilian facilities both in the Gaza Strip and Israel should be firmly denounced," the foreign ministry said.

"Amid the current flare-up in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," Russian diplomats "in their contacts have urged the sides to immediately halt fighting," the ministry stressed.

"In this regard, we support mediatory efforts of Egypt and the United Nations to again put a ceasefire into effect," the commentary says.

On Sunday, the Israeli special forces carried out an undercover operation in Gaza. Al Mayadeen television channel reported that they were allegedly targeting Marwan Issa, a second top commander in Hamas’ armed wing, Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades. In the Israeli raid near the city of Khan Yunis, the group’s seven militants, including a commander, were killed. However, an Israeli special forces’ lieutenant colonel died in retaliatory fire, while another officer received wounds.

In response to the raid, Palestinian militant groups fired more than 450 rockets from Gaza at Israel in the most intense shelling. The Israeli army carried out massive artillery and air strikes against Gaza, hitting over 150 targets in the enclave.

According to media reports, since then eight Palestinians have been killed and 35 more wounded, and 56 Israelis have been wounded and one killed.

On Tuesday, the Sky News Arabia news channel said that the Palestinian militant groups announced that a ceasefire had come into effect in the Gaza Strip thanks to Egypt’s mediatory efforts.