Russian Ambassador to Tel Aviv Anatolii Viktorov was summoned to the Israeli Foreign Ministry because of the visit of a Hamas delegation to Moscow, the Israeli Foreign Ministry’s press service said in its Telegram channel on October 29.
According to the Foreign Ministry, Ambassador Simona Halperin, Deputy Director General of the Israeli Foreign Ministry for Eurasian Affairs, explained to the Russian diplomat that “Israel considers with all seriousness the absence of unequivocal and clear condemnation by Moscow of the Hamas terrorist organization, as well as Russia’s actions in international organizations”. It pointed out that “hosting Hamas leaders who are directly responsible for the bloody terrorist attack of October 7, the hostage-taking” and the killing of more than 1,400 Israelis “gives the impression of legitimizing terrorism against Israelis”.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry condemned the visit to Moscow by representatives of the Palestinian organization. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in response to a question about Israel’s reaction that Moscow believes it is necessary to continue contacts with all parties to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
It should be noted that Russia and Hamas gave different information following the visit.
Russia wrote that there were discussions about the release of hostages and the evacuation of Russians and foreign citizens from the Gaza Strip. Hamas said Moscow discussed “aggression against Gaza” and the right to “resist the Zionist occupation by all available means”. “The movement’s delegation praised the position of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the efforts of active Russian diplomacy”, the press release said. The Hamas statement made no mention of hostages, but called for a cease-fire, the opening of checkpoints and the delivery of humanitarian aid. Hamas also mentioned the rights of the Palestinian people, and the Russian Foreign Ministry mentioned the need to establish a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
