Russian Foreign Ministry surprised by Israeli ambassador's assessment of Moscow's role in the dialog on Gaza

The biased assessment of Russia's contribution to the release of Hamas hostages in the Gaza Strip by Israeli Ambassador to Russia Simona Halperin is surprising. This was stated by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova on February 10.

Earlier, on February 4, the ambassador gave an interview to the Kommersant newspaper, in which she spoke critically about contacts between Russia and the movement and questioned their effectiveness for the release of the hostages.

"Ambassador Simona Halperin's biased assessment of the Russian contribution to the release of the hostages is, to put it mildly, surprising. But let's leave it, as they say, on her conscience," Zakharova said in a response published on the diplomatic ministry's website.

At the same time, the diplomat drew attention to changes in Tel Aviv's views on Russia's ties with the Palestinian movement. According to her, Moscow's concrete successes in releasing the hostages have forced Israel to adopt a pragmatic approach to Russian mediation.

Zakharova added that the Russian side will continue to press for the release of not only Russian Alexander Trufanov and Donbass native Maxim Kharkin, but also other hostages in the Gaza Strip.

"For this purpose, Israel and Hamas must strictly implement the agreements reached within the framework of the agreement on cessation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip both at the current and subsequent stages of its implementation," she stressed.

"Two to three years is a realistic timeframe for Gaza's economic recovery"

Oleg Kobyakov, Director of the Russian branch of the UN Food Organization, on the catastrophe in the Middle East, problems in European countries and the world price index

Earlier, on February 4, deputy head of the Hamas politburo Musa Abu Marzouk told Izvestia that everything is fine with Russian hostage Trufanov and he will be released soon.

On February 5, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump that Tel Aviv intends to destroy Hamas, return all Jewish hostages and eliminate the threat to the country from the Gaza Strip. The American leader, for his part, called Gaza a demolition site and suggested resettling Palestinians in Jordan, Egypt or other countries.

The agreement on a ceasefire in Gaza became known on January 15. On the same day, Russian presidential representative for the Middle East and African countries, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov held telephone talks with the leadership of the Palestinian movement and noted the priority of releasing Russian citizens held captive. The ceasefire regime in the Gaza Strip began in the morning of January 19.

The situation in the Middle East escalated in the morning of October 7, 2023, when Hamas subjected the territory of Israel to a massive rocket attack from the Gaza Strip. On the same day, Israel began retaliatory strikes.