Hamas delegation visits Moscow to discuss release of hostages

A delegation from Hamas landed in Moscow on Thursday for talks with Russian officials on the release of Russian hostages and other foreign nationals who are currently held up in Gaza.

There are at least 220 Russian citizens held as hostages by Hamas, according to the Israeli government.

Mousa Abu Marzook, the founder and political leader of Hamas, was among the delegation of the militant group who met Russian deputy foreign minister Mikhail Bogdanov, state-run Tass news agency reported.

According to reports, Marzook, who lives in exile in Qatar, travelled to Moscow after an earlier meeting in Doha with Bogdanov and the Iranian deputy foreign minister, Ali Bagheri Kani.

“Abu Marzook, a member of the political bureau of the Islamic resistance movement Hamas, is in Moscow,” said the Russian foreign ministry in a statement.

“Contact with him took place in pursuit for the immediate release of foreign hostages held in the Gaza Strip, and issues related to ensuring the evacuation of Russian and other foreign citizens from the territory of the Palestinian enclave were discussed.”

Later, Hamas in its own statement praised Russia's President Vladimir Putin for his efforts to end "the crimes of Israel that are supported by the West", Russia's RIA news agency reported.

Russia-Hamas ties

The meeting comes after the deputy minister expressed his desire to meet the terrorist organisation in Qatar to discuss the release of Israeli hostages.

“If they are willing, we always are in favour of contact,” Bogdanov told state media earlier this month.

“Especially in this situation, [a meeting] would be useful for solving practical issues, including the freeing of hostages.”

Putin wants Gaza bombing to end

The meeting reflects Russia’s unwavering support to the Palestinians who have been affected by the Israeli counter-operations launched against Hamas for the October 7 terror attack.

Earlier this week, Vladimir Putin warned that an Israeli ground invasion of Gaza could lead to a broader regional conflict, saying that “our main task is to stop the bloodshed and violence … otherwise, further escalation of the crisis is fraught with grave and extremely dangerous and destructive consequences. And not only for the Middle East region. It could spill over far beyond the borders of the Middle East.”

(With inputs from agencies)

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