Speaking to members of Russia’s Jewish community, President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow had achieved “specific results” in its diplomatic efforts to secure the release of captives held by Hamas in Gaza.
Russian news agencies report that Putin told Russia’s chief rabbi, Berel Lazar, and the head of the Federation of Jewish Communities, Alexander Boroda, that Moscow has made headway using its contacts within Hamas’s political wing.
He was quoted as saying that “Russia has been doing everything to help people who became hostages”.
“As is known, our Foreign Ministry worked through the political wing of Hamas and, on the whole, there have been specific results,” Putin said without elaborating further.
Russia has previously criticised the Israeli military’s actions in Gaza and stated its support for Palestinian statehood.
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA, Thursday, February 08, 2024
