First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma International Relations Committee Dmitry Novikov told socialbites.ca that the Russian side is “closely” interested in helping its citizens who suffered during the conflict between Hamas and Israel. The MP explained that the majority of Russians killed or captured by militants had dual citizenship, so the Israeli side should “also be interested in the fate” of these people.
“The Russian side is already very interested in aid. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs deals with this issue on a daily, hourly basis and maintains communication with both relevant parties in the field and the Embassy of the Russian Federation. In fact, several cases of death and capture of persons with dual citizenship are known: as a rule, these are citizens of Israel and citizens of the Russian Federation. “Therefore, we have the right to expect the Israeli government to pay close attention to the fate of these citizens and to do everything necessary for their release,” he said.
Novikov added that Russia has “constructive” relations with both sides of the conflict.
“The joint efforts of the Russian Federation are now aimed at resolving this conflict. The conflict has been going on for a long time, it has been going on for a long time, it is multifaceted, and such knots in world politics, unfortunately, are not resolved quickly. But Russia’s strong position in the negotiations lies in the fact that it has long-standing constructive relations with both parties involved in the conflict, which are now watching these dramatic events, which the whole world is watching, and this makes it possible if all parties to the conflict participate. “We are ready to find a mutually acceptable solution,” he added.
Answering the question of whether the radical Hamas movement should be considered a terrorist organization, MP Novikov noted that “it does not operate on the territory of the Russian Federation” and “this is a completely separate issue.”
On October 7, the press service of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that terrorists from the Gaza Strip had entered Israel’s border areas after a massive rocket attack from the area. At least 2,200 rockets have been fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip since Saturday morning.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant said that the Palestinian radical Islamist movement declared war on his country. Against this background, the head of the Ministry of Defense announced a large concentration of reservists in the country.
It is known that 4 Russians were killed in the clashes and 12 are reported to be missing. According to media reports, there are also Russians captured by Hamas militants.
Previously socialbites.ca correspondent reportedUnder fire in Israel.