Russias Foreign Minister on Fridaycalled on Palestinian militants to release 2 Russian-Israeli captives after one of them appeared in a video earlier this week.Islamic Jihad, a Palestinian militant group allied with Hamas, released a video on Wednesday of Alexander Trufanov, who was forcibly taken to Gaza in the middle of the Hamas-led attack on Israel last October.In the video, the bearded Trufanov spoke in Hebrew about Israeli military operations in Lebanon and prompted Israelis to put pressure on the federal government to protect the release of hostages.We restate our call for the instant and genuine release of all civilians in the hands of Palestinian groups, primarily of our compatriots Trufanov and [Maxim] Kharkin, Russias Foreign Ministry said in a statement.Kharkin was amongst thousands of people going to the Supernova music celebration just a few miles from Gaza when Hamas militants introduced their attack on Oct.
7 last year, eliminating some 1,200 people and snatching another 250.
Israel states around 65 hostages live in captivity.The release of captives is a concern in our contacts with representatives of the political wing of Hamas and other Palestinian companies, Russias Foreign Ministry said.Trufanov was abducted with his girlfriend, Sapir Cohen, from the Nir Oz kibbutz near the Gaza Strip.
Trupanovs mother, grandmother and sweetheart, who were likewise hijacked, were amongst those released throughout a brief ceasefire and detainee exchange last November.Trufanovs dad, Vitaly, was eliminated throughout the Oct.
7 attack.Israels devastating war against Hamas in Gaza has killed more than 43,000 people, Palestinian health officials stated.
Human being Rights Watch recently implicated Israel of methodically requiring the mass displacement of civilians in Gaza, which totals up to a war criminal activity and a criminal offense against humanity.AFP contributed reporting.A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unmatched obstacles.
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