by Our Correspondent in Doha
Hamas announced on Monday that it is postponing the release of Israeli hostages, originally scheduled for this Saturday, citing Israel’s violations of the fragile ceasefire agreement in Gaza. In a statement, Hamas accused Israel of breaching various aspects of the truce that took effect three weeks ago. As part of the ceasefire deal, Hamas has been releasing Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. To date, 21 hostages have been freed in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian detainees. The situation remains tense, and there was no immediate response from Israel to Hamas’s claims.
In the midst of these developments, diplomatic talks have been underway. On February 3, Moscow hosted two significant meetings related to the ongoing conflict. The Deputy Chairman of the Hamas Politburo, Musa Abu-Marzouq, met with M.L. Bogdanov, the Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for the Middle East and Africa, and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia. The meeting focused on the progress of the ceasefire in Gaza, emphasizing the importance of increasing humanitarian aid to the Palestinian population, which has been severely affected by the conflict. During the talks, Bogdanov also stressed the necessity of fulfilling the promises made by Hamas, particularly the release of Russian citizen A. Trufanov, who is among the hostages held in Gaza.
Bogdanov further highlighted the need for inter-Palestinian unity on a political platform that envisions the creation of an independent Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. This aligns with Russia’s longstanding position on a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
On the same day, Israel’s Ambassador to Moscow, Simona Galperin, was also received by M.L. Bogdanov for a separate meeting. The discussions centered around the Middle East situation, with a particular focus on the ongoing ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. The Russian side reiterated its commitment to facilitating the release of hostages, including Trufanov, and emphasized the importance of a peaceful resolution to the conflict. Diplomatic efforts to advance Russian-Israeli relations and maintain regular political dialogue were also touched upon during the talks.
Amid these diplomatic exchanges, an interview with Syrian leader Ahmad Al-Sharaa (Al Jolani) sparked further debate over the future of Gaza. Al-Sharaa criticized the “Trump plan” for Gaza, warning that any effort to forcibly remove Palestinians from their land would be morally and politically wrong. He drew a parallel to the treatment of Mexicans in the United States, arguing that such policies would ultimately fail and amount to a serious crime.
