Supporters of the Palestinian movement Hamas plan to release additional Russian citizens on Wednesday as a gesture of gratitude to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Moussa Abu Marzouk, a member of the movement's politburo, made the announcement.
"We have not released any of the Israeli men in Gaza, except for Russian citizen Ron Krivoy. This release serves as an expression of gratitude from the movement towards Russian President Putin for his stance. Today, several other Russians will be released outside the truce agreement," he wrote on the social network X (formerly Twitter).
The Ash-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper reported that a Hamas delegation led by Politburo member Moussa Abu Marzouk held talks in Moscow on November 28 and expressed gratitude to Russia for its position on the Palestinian issue. According to the newspaper, Abu Marzouk met with Mikhail Bogdanov, the Russian President's Special Representative for the Middle East and Africa and Deputy Foreign Minister.
"Hamas appreciates Russia's stance, particularly that of President Vladimir Putin, and we extend our gratitude for their efforts," Abu Marzouk told Ash-Sharq al-Awsat in a commentary. He further mentioned that the Russian Federation is "a friendly country with which the movement is prepared to consult on various issues." The Hamas delegation, he added, provided "Russian officials with a briefing on the circumstances leading to the October 7 attack" and presented "the movement's perspective on current events."
Abu Marzouk confirmed that Hamas intends to work towards "the release of all civilian hostages and foreign detainees who do not have Israeli citizenship." He noted that the "intensive Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip is significantly complicating the process of their release."
On November 26, Hamas released Russian citizen Krivoy off the exchange list with Israel and handed him over to representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova confirmed that the release of the Russian citizen was the result of efforts made by Russian diplomats in contacts with Hamas.
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Based on materials from TASS