Russian Ambassador to Israel Anatoly Viktorov told the Rossiya-24 TV channel that Moscow had evidence suggesting that Alexander Trufanov, a dual Russian-Israeli citizen and one of the hostages held in the Gaza Strip, is in poor health.
“Unfortunately, there is proof that he was wounded and his condition is not quite okay,” Viktorov said. “We hope that his situation will not deteriorate in the coming days. The Hamas leadership has strongly assured Russia that he will be returned safe and sound according to the agreement that was established recently.”
Viktorov noted that Trufanov had been injured “during the hostage-taking attack.” He clarified, “It’s not as if he was hurt while being held hostage in the Gaza Strip.”
Earlier, Israeli Ambassador to Russia Simona Halperin informed TASS that Trufanov was included in the list of 33 hostages––dead and alive––who were expected to be released in the initial phase of the agreement with Hamas.
Last Thursday, Russia, which had called for the release of Trufanov and another Russian-Israeli hostage, Maxim Kharkiv, expressed its support for the ceasefire deal.
Trufanov appeared in a video released by the Islamic Ji9had last November, urging the Israeli government to work toward securing the release of hostages.
He was abducted along with his girlfriend, Sapir Cohen, from Kibbutz Nir Oz near the Gaza Strip. Cohen, as well as Trufanov’s mother and grandmother, were freed during the brief ceasefire and prisoner exchange in November 2023.
Trufanov’s father, Vitaly, was killed during the October 7, 2023, attack.
