Skip to main content

Russia says it pressed Hamas to free hostages during Moscow delegation visit

1 min Mena Today

The Russian foreign ministry said on Friday it had received a delegation from the Hamas militant movement and had urged it to release hostages the group is holding in the Gaza strip, including three Russian nationals.

Mikhail Bogdanov © Mena Today 

Mikhail Bogdanov © Mena Today 

The Russian foreign ministry said on Friday it had received a delegation from the Hamas militant movement and had urged it to release hostages the group is holding in the Gaza strip, including three Russian nationals.

The ministry said in a statement that Mikhail Bogdanov, a deputy foreign minister, had received Hamas Politburo member Abu Marzouk.

"During the conversation, the focus was on the ongoing confrontation in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict zone, against the backdrop of which the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip has reached catastrophic proportions," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

"The Russian side stressed the need for the speedy release of civilians captured during the attacks of 7 October 2023 and held by Palestinian factions, including three Russian citizens - A. Kozlov, A. Lobanov and A. Trufanov."

Editing by Andrew Osborn

Related

Lebanon

Israeli strikes in Lebanon kill 4, Lebanese health ministry says

Israeli forces killed four people in southern Lebanon on Monday, Lebanon's National News Agency reported, citing the health ministry, in two separate strikes that the Israeli military said targeted members of the Shi'ite Muslim armed group Hezbollah.

Lebanon

Inside Hezbollah’s medical network

Kuwait has added eight Lebanese hospitals to its national sanctions list over alleged links to terrorism, according to the Kuwaiti daily Al-Rai. The hospitals are all located in areas where Hezbollah is influential: southern Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley, and Beirut’s southern suburbs.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Mena banner 4

To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.

  • Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.