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Posted on February 3, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 26, 2026
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Russia calls on Hamas to release a Russian hostage in Gaza, stressing the importance of fulfilling commitments and achieving Palestinian unity.
(Reuters) - A senior Russian diplomat urged a top official of the Palestinian movement Hamas on Monday to keep to its commitment to release a Russian hostage held by the group since its raid on Israel in October 2023.
Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov raised the issue in talks in Moscow with Musa Abu Marzuk, a member of Hamas's Politburo, Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
"It was again stressed from the Russian side that it was vital to fulfil the promise expressed by the Hamas leadership concerning the release of Russian citizen A. Trufanov and others being held hostage in the Gaza Strip," it said.
The statement also noted the "importance of continuing appropriate work in the interests of achieving inter-Palestinian unity".
Alexander Trufanov is one of the hostages still being held in Gaza after being kidnapped from a kibbutz in the mass raid on Israeli targets on October 7, 2023.
According to Israeli news reports, Trufanov was kidnapped along with his mother, grandmother and girlfriend, while his father was killed. The rest of his family has been released, the reports said.
Hamas handed over three Israeli hostages on Saturday, and dozens of Palestinian prisoners and detainees were released in exchange, in the latest stage of a truce aimed at ending the 15-month war in Gaza.
Russia has maintained ties with all key players in the Middle East, including Israel, Iran, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority and Hamas.
(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Stephen Coates)
The Russian hostage mentioned is Alexander Trufanov, who has been held by Hamas since the raid on Israeli targets on October 7, 2023.
Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov urged Hamas to fulfill its commitment to release Alexander Trufanov and other hostages during talks in Moscow.
Hamas recently handed over three Israeli hostages, while dozens of Palestinian prisoners were released in exchange, as part of a truce to end the ongoing conflict.
The importance of achieving inter-Palestinian unity was emphasized in the talks, highlighting the need for cooperation among Palestinian factions.
Russia has maintained ties with all key players in the Middle East, including Israel, Iran, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, and Hamas.
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