In Moscow: Senior Hamas official demands ceasefire among other conditions for release of Israeli captives


Deputy head of Hamas political bureau Moussa Abu Marzouk. AP

 

Oct 27, 2023. Posted by  Balkan Periscope - Hellas

Moussa Abu Marzouk, a senior Hamas member on Friday, in a statement to Al-Arabiya TV, announced a set of conditions for the release of Israeli captives, among them a ceasefire, as he led a delegation that held talks with a top Iranian diplomat in Moscow.

“We demand (a response to our) conditions for the release of detainees, including a ceasefire,” Abu Marzouk, the deputy head of Hamas' political bureau, told Al-Arabiya.

Abu Marzouk met on Friday with Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Ali Bagheri Kani, Russian state news agency Tass said.

The Iranian diplomat told Abu Marzouk that Tehran’s “priority” in negotiations is “an immediate ceasefire, providing assistance to the people and lifting the repressive blockade of Gaza,” Tass reported.

The Israeli foreign ministry slammed Russia’s decision to invite Hamas representatives to Moscow as “an act of support for terrorism.”

“We welcome anyone who wants to fight alongside us," Abu Marzouk said, according to Al-Arabiya.

"We are counting on our Arab brethren to reach a ceasefire," he said.

Abu Marzouk also voiced his gratitude to Russia, saying they had protected Hamas twice at the UN Security Council with a veto.

He added  that “Russia and China represent a bloc that defends us.”

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