Hamas is trying to locate eight Russian-Israeli dual citizens taken hostage during the terror group’s attack on Israel in order to release them at Moscow’s request, Russian news agencies reported on Saturday.
Russia has good relations with Hamas, which it does not consider a terrorist group, and has begun diplomatic efforts to free hostages held in Gaza.
“From the Russian side, we received a list of citizens with dual citizenship through the Foreign Ministry,” Musa Abu Marzouk, head of the terrorist group’s international relations office, told RIA Novosti news agency.
“We’re looking for these people…It’s hard, but we’re looking. And when we find her, we will let her go.”
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“We are following this list very closely and will process it carefully, as we consider Russia to be our closest friend,” he said.
In their shock terror attack on Israel on October 7, Hamas terrorists killed over 1,400 people, most of them civilians, in raids on over 20 border communities near the Gaza Strip. Entire families were slaughtered in their homes and around 260 people were slaughtered at an outdoor music festival. Terrorists also took over 230 hostages, including women, children and the elderly, and abducted them to the Gaza Strip, where they remain prisoners.
Families and friends of Israelis held hostage in Gaza hold a rally in front of the Tel Aviv Art Museum on October 26, 2023. (Gili Yaari /Flash90)
Hamas had previously said it did not know where all the prisoners were and that some were being held by other terror groups.
Israel believes Hamas is trying to drag out the hostage story to prevent an Israeli ground attack, and has dismissed other Hamas promises to release certain prisoners as an attempt at psychological warfare against the hostages’ families as well as the general population.
Hamas has released four hostages since its Oct. 7 terror massacre, including an American-Israeli mother and daughter and two elderly Israeli women. The deal was negotiated by Qatar, which hosts both a U.S. military base and Hamas’ political office.
Israel has publicly insisted that all hostages must be released unconditionally and has rejected efforts to separate those who also hold foreign citizenship from the rest of the prisoners.
The promises regarding Russian citizens came after Hamas officials arrived in Moscow on Thursday to speak with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov about the ongoing war with Israel. The meeting was also attended by Ali Bagheri Kani, the deputy foreign minister of terror, the group’s main sponsor, Iran.
The Hamas delegation was led by Abu Marzouk and also included Basem Naim, the former Hamas health minister in Gaza and the organization’s representative in Moscow, a Hamas statement said.
The stated purpose of the visit was to discuss the ongoing war with Israel and ways to end “Zionist crimes supported by the United States and the West.”
The Hamas delegation also praised the position of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the efforts of Russian diplomacy.
Bogdanov, who is also Putin’s special envoy for the Middle East, reportedly expressed Russia’s support for the rights of the Palestinian people and spoke of his country’s efforts to reach a ceasefire and open humanitarian corridors in Gaza.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry blamed Russia for hosting the terror group’s representatives as Jerusalem’s public frustration with Russia grew. “Hamas is a worse terrorist organization than ISIS,” tweeted ministry spokesman Lior Haiat.
“Israel views the invitation of senior Hamas officials to Moscow as an obscene step that supports terrorism and legitimizes the atrocities of Hamas terrorists,” the Foreign Ministry said, calling on Moscow to immediately expel the Hamas leaders.
“The hands of senior Hamas officials are stained with the blood of over 1,400 Israelis who were slaughtered, murdered, executed and burned, and they are responsible for the kidnapping of over 220 Israelis, including babies, children, women and the elderly.” , it continues.