During a conversation at the Israeli Foreign Ministry, Russian Ambassador to Tel Aviv Anatoly Viktorov provided clear explanations regarding the reception of Hamas representatives in Moscow.
"The other day, I was invited to the Israeli Foreign Ministry for an explanatory conversation. We provided clear explanations, and I reiterated that the reception of Hamas representatives in Moscow does not imply support for the terrorist methods employed by some members of this organization. Any claims of us supporting terrorism are entirely false. I made it clear that we do not endorse Hamas or any other group or political forces; our support is for a fair resolution of the Palestinian issue," he stated during an interview on Russia-24.
Viktorov also emphasized that contacts by the Russian side with all political forces influencing the situation in the region are entirely justified, particularly from a humanitarian perspective.
On October 29, the Israeli Foreign Ministry's press service announced that the Russian ambassador in Tel Aviv had been summoned to the Israeli Foreign Ministry to protest against the visit of a delegation from the Palestinian organization Hamas to Moscow.
Hamas delegation's visit to Moscow
On October 26, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova announced that representatives of Hamas were visiting Moscow. The Hamas delegation held meetings in Moscow, including with Mikhail Bogdanov, the Special Representative of the Russian President for the Middle East and Africa, Deputy Foreign Minister. During these meetings, the Russian side discussed issues such as the release of hostages and the evacuation of Russians from the Gaza Strip.
Israel strongly condemned the visit and called on Moscow to immediately expel Hamas representatives from the country. The official statement from the Israeli Foreign Ministry characterized Russia's invitation to Hamas leaders as "an unworthy step that gives support to terrorism and legitimizes the actions of Hamas terrorists."
In response, the Russian embassy in Tel Aviv emphasized that attempts to accuse Russia of supporting terrorism in light of Moscow's contacts in the Middle East region are entirely unacceptable. The embassy's official statement emphasized that Russia condemns violence against civilians, regardless of its source.
The embassy further highlighted that Russia's contacts and actions in the Middle East region and in international organizations are primarily aimed at the immediate release of hostages in the Gaza Strip and addressing issues related to ensuring the evacuation of Russian and other foreign citizens from the region.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Alex Zarubi/Unsplash
Based on materials from TASS