Hamas intends to release eight Russian-Israeli hostages at Moscow's request

 

   In his first visit since the outbreak of the conflict between Israel and Hamas, the Russian news agencies quoted the deputy head of Hamas's political office, Musa Abu Marzouk, stating the movement's intention to release eight hostages holding Russian and Israeli nationalities after their location has been identified. Abu Marzouk, during his visit to Moscow on Saturday, October 28, 2023, confirmed that the movement is attempting to pinpoint the location of eight hostages holding Russian and Israeli nationalities in preparation for their release. He was quoted by the Russian official news agency Ria Novosti as saying, "We are currently searching for the individuals indicated by the Russian side. It is a challenging task, but we are searching. We will release them as soon as we find them."

He clarified that he received a list from the Russian Foreign Ministry containing eight names of Russian-Israeli individuals detained in the Gaza Strip. Abu Marzouk added, "We show great interest in this list and handle it with care because we consider Russia a very close friend."

Abu Marzouk arrived in Moscow on Thursday for discussions, marking his first visit since the outbreak of the conflict between Israel and Hamas three weeks ago. These discussions primarily focused on the release of hostages and the evacuation of Russian citizens. On Tuesday, the Kremlin announced that no progress had been made regarding the release of the Russian hostages held by Hamas, even admitting to not knowing the exact number of these individuals.

In addition to the detainees, hundreds of Russian citizens reside in the Gaza Strip, which is currently experiencing intense Israeli shelling.

Unlike the United States, Germany, the European Union, and other countries, Russia does not classify Hamas as a terrorist organization and has always maintained relations with the Palestinian movement.

Moscow condemned the attacks on Israeli civilians on October 7th, but it simultaneously emphasized the necessity of establishing a Palestinian state to end the conflict, while warning Israel about the repercussions of a random and bloody response.

Regarding the toll of Israeli targeting in the Strip, the health authorities affiliated with Hamas announced on Saturday that the death toll from the ongoing Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip "has risen to 7,703, including over 3,500 children so far."