Hamas delegation arrives in Moscow for talks

Moscow — A delegation from Hamas visited Moscow on Thursday for talks on the release of foreign hostages including Russian citizens that the militant group is holding in Gaza, Russian news agencies reported, citing the foreign ministry.

Senior Hamas member Abu Marzouk was among those attending the talks, Tass reported.

“Contacts were held with him in continuation of the Russian line on the immediate release of foreign hostages in the Gaza Strip. Issues related to ensuring the evacuation of Russian and other foreign citizens from the territory of the Palestinian enclave were also discussed,” TASS said.

Russia has ties to all key players in the Middle East, including Israel, Iran, the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, the militant Islamist group that controls Gaza.

Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova told a weekly briefing earlier on Thursday that Iran’s deputy foreign minister Ali Baghiri Kani was also currently visiting Moscow.

Zakharova gave no further details. Baghiri Kani is Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator. Iran is a strong backer of Hamas in its conflict with Hamas.

Moscow has repeatedly blamed the current crisis on the failure of US diplomacy, and called for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and the resumption of talks aimed at finding a peace settlement.

Hamas released its own statement in which it praised the efforts of Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and foreign ministry to end what it called “the crimes of Israel that are supported by the West”, according to Russia’s RIA news agency.

Earlier, Putin warned the conflict could spread beyond the Middle East. “Our task today, our main task, is to stop the bloodshed and violence,” he said in a meeting with Russian religious leaders of different faiths, according to a Kremlin transcript. “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.”

Reflecting concerns the Gaza war may spread, the Wall Street Journal reported this week that Israel had agreed to delay invading Gaza until US air defence systems can be placed in the region, as early as this week, to protect American forces.

Asked about the report, US officials said Washington has raised its concerns with Israel that Iran and Iranian-backed Islamist groups could escalate the conflict by attacking US troops in the Middle East. An Israeli incursion into Gaza could be a trigger for Iranian proxies, they said.

Israel has vowed to wipe out Hamas in retaliation for an October 7 attack that killed 1,400 people. Israel has struck Gaza from the air, imposed a siege on the enclave of 2.3-million people and is preparing a ground invasion. Palestinian authorities say more than 6,500 have been killed.

Reuters