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
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
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday he hoped to reach a deal in a few days for the release of more Israeli hostages held by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas.
Iran's president said on Thursday the U.N. nuclear watchdog should drop its "double standards" if Tehran is to resume cooperation with it over the Islamic Republic's nuclear programme, Iranian state media reported.
Iran poses a significant and wide-ranging threat to Britain and, while not in the same league as Russia or China, it is one that is rising and for which the UK government is not fully prepared, British lawmakers said in a report released on Thursday.
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