The Israeli government criticized Russia for hosting a Hamas delegation in Moscow for alleged diplomatic talks regarding the hostages kept in Gaza.
Delegates from the Palestinian militant group arrived in Moscow as announced by the Russian Foreign Ministry on Thursday evening. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova confirmed the news during a weekly briefing.
Hamas Delegation Arrives in Moscow
The situation comes as Moscow had not previously announced plans for talks with the Hamas militant group. The latter launched an attack on Israel on Oct. 7 that prompted an unrelenting bombardment of the Gaza Strip by the Israeli military.
There were reports that Moussa Abu Marzouk, a senior militant organization member, led the Hamas delegation. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov previously said that Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas was planning to travel to Moscow for diplomatic talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin "soon."
It was later reported that Hamas had met with Boganov and that the delegates commended Putin's position and the efforts of Russia's diplomacy. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was visiting Minsk at the time, as per The Moscow Times.
The Kremlin said that it continues to maintain ties with both the Hamas militant group and Israel to mediate the war between the two sides. Moscow plans to delicately manage the situation to retain its influence in the Middle East.
The Hamas militant group's visit to Russia this week is the first the organization has had since it launched its surprise attack on Israel earlier this month. Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani joined the visit to Russia.
The situation comes as Putin has called for Palestinian-Israeli negotiations, which he said should create an independent Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital. Hamas responded that it welcomed Moscow's "tireless efforts to stop Israel's aggression."
On the other hand, United States President Joe Biden condemned Hamas' and Putin's actions during a speech. He said that the attacks on Israel, as well as the invasion of Ukraine, share common motives on the global stage, according to Yahoo News.
Discussions Regarding Gaza Hostages
The Israeli government also called the Hamas delegates and Russian officials meeting an "obscene step." It also called on Moscow to immediately expel the Hamas terrorists, as revealed by a statement issued by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The talks allegedly focus on the release of foreign hostages who were taken during the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. The Israeli government added that there are at least six hostages still under Hamas custody who have Russian citizenship.
Israel's Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson, Lior Haiat, released a statement on Thursday on X, formerly known as Twitter. He said that Tel Aviv saw the meeting in Moscow as Moscow offering its support to terrorism and allegedly trying to legitimize the atrocities of Hamas terrorists.
The statement added that the Hamas militant group is a terrorist organization worse than ISIS. It added that the hands of senior Hamas officials were already stained with the blood of more than 1,400 Israelis who were slaughtered, murdered, executed, and burned, said Newsweek.
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