Elena Teslova
27 October 2023•Update: 27 October 2023
MOSCOW
A recent visit by Palestinian group Hamas to Moscow is in line with Russia's policy to maintain contact with all sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Kremlin said Friday.
"We consider it necessary to continue maintaining contacts with all parties. And, of course, we will continue our dialogue with Israel," spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at a news conference in the Russian capital, without commenting on Israeli opposition to the Hamas delegation's visit on Thursday.
Peskov also did not weigh in on whether the issue of Israeli hostages taken by Hamas was discussed during the talks at the Foreign Ministry and underlined that the group would have no contacts with the Russian presidential office during its visit.
"As for the Gaza Strip, we have repeatedly said, a humanitarian catastrophe is taking place there now, which is the subject of attention and the deepest concern of almost all countries of the world," he stressed.
Warning that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is causing tension throughout the region, Peskov pointed to recent US airstrikes in Syria.
On fears that a Russian military base in Syria could get involved in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Peskov said: "There are no such concerns at the moment."
Citing a source in the Russian Foreign Ministry, media outlets in the country reported that the deputy chairman of Hamas' Political Bureau, Mousa Mohammed Abu Marzook, was leading the delegation in Moscow.
The talks' agenda included the immediate release of foreign hostages in the Gaza Strip and issues related to ensuring the evacuation of Russian and other foreign nationals from the Palestinian enclave.
The current conflict in Gaza escalated dramatically after Hamas' military wing carried out an unprecedented attack on Israel on Oct. 7 by firing thousands of rockets and sending hundreds of fighters into Israeli towns.
Israel responded with an uninterrupted campaign of air and artillery strikes on the Gaza Strip, and the government announced that it is preparing for a ground offensive to root out Hamas.
Over 8,700 people have been killed in the conflict, including at least 7,326 Palestinians and 1,400 Israelis.
Gaza's 2.3 million residents are grappling with shortages of food, water, and medicine due to Israel’s massive air bombardment and total blockade of the enclave.
