Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, who is also a special presidential envoy for the Middle East and Africa, met in Moscow on Thursday with relatives of the Russian Israelis who are held by Hamas, to brief them about his efforts to free their loved ones.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement, “Mikhail Bogdanov spoke in detail about the persistent efforts of Russian diplomacy that are aimed at the prompt release of our compatriots. It was also emphasized that this extremely important humanitarian issue is a priority for the Russian Foreign Ministry and Russian embassies across the Middle East and is vigorously raised by them in communication with members of the political wing of Hamas, as well as in the capitals of several countries in the region.”
“Such comprehensive work will be continued with all parties involved in the interests of the unconditional and urgent release of Russian nationals held hostage in the Gaza Strip,” the ministry added.
On March 28, a Russian propaganda channel RIA report revealed that Hamas had no idea where eight Russian-born hostages were being kept.
RIA cited Senior Hamas member Musa Abu Marzouk, a frequent visitor to Moscow, who said the Russian foreign ministry had handed Hamas a list of eight names of dual citizenship hostages, and noted, “We are very attentive to this list and we will handle it carefully because we look at Russia as our closest friend.”
“Now we are looking for those people. It’s difficult, but we are looking. And as soon as we find them, we will release them. Despite the difficulties due to the current situation,” vowed Abu Marzouk.
On March 2, a Hamas delegation met with Bogdanov at the Moscow headquarters of the Russian Foreign Ministry to express the terrorist group’s gratitude to the Russian Federation for “their position in support of the Palestinian people,” but the Russian report on the visit mentioned nothing about the Russian hostages who are still in Gaza.
However, Hamas congratulated Russia on “the positive results they achieved in uniting the Palestinian ranks, responding to aggression, providing relief to our people, supporting the valiant Palestinian resistance, and emphasizing the continuity of the meetings.”
So, it must have been a good visit.
