Hamas ready to release all Russian hostages as two are "closest friends"

Musa Abu Marzouk, a member of Hamas' political board and head of its "foreign relations department", has reported that Russia is asking the group for information on eight people held hostage in the Gaza Strip.

Source: Kremlin-aligned Russian news agency RIA Novosti

Quote from Marzouk: "We received a list of citizens with dual citizenship from the Russian side through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We are treating this list with the utmost of care and will process it thoroughly because we view Russia as our closest friend."

Details: Marzouk said Hamas is now looking for people on the Russian list to release them.

Background:

• The latest figures estimate that 222 people are being held hostage by Hamas.
• On 28 October, reports emerged that the Israeli forces entered the Gaza Strip after intense strikes with artillery and missiles fired from warplanes.
• On 28 October, Yahya Sinwar, leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, proposed that hostages be exchanged for Hamas members in Israeli prisons.
• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the second phase of the war against Hamas had begun with the deployment of new ground forces in the Gaza Strip on the evening of Friday, 27 October.

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