Israeli Ambassador to the Russian Federation Alexander Ben Zvi stated that Hamas has not engaged in talks with Israeli representatives about a hostage exchange. This update was reported by TASS. He noted that Israel cannot predict how the situation will unfold in the coming days.
You can understand the atmosphere today, he said, because there has just been a massive rocket salvo directed at Israel within the last hour. In response, retaliatory steps are being taken, which means there have not been any negotiations in this regard yet. The ambassador also pointed out that Egypt has historically served as a mediator in past rounds of talks, but thus far there has been no formal request from Cairo for mediation in this instance. Israel is now initiating military operations in response to the developments.
Earlier, Hamas signaled an intent to exchange some of the hostages seized in Israeli territory for Palestinian women held in Israeli prisons. On 7 October, Hamas forces launched several thousand rockets into Israel and announced the start of what it described as Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. In light of these events, Israel declared a state of emergency with the entry of a special security regime announced by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. Prime Minister Netanyahu also stated that the country is at war and that the Israeli Defense Forces have named their campaign against Hamas Iron Swords. Observers have been assessing how long the conflict might escalate and what form the next phase could take. The overall situation has led to heightened security measures and a broad mobilization across multiple government and security agencies.
This sequence of events underscores the fragility of regional stability and the ongoing challenge of securing the release of hostages while pursuing military objectives. Analysts note that the absence of a direct negotiation channel between Hamas and Israel at this moment places pressure on international mediators to reengage behind the scenes and push for a sustained ceasefire and humanitarian corridors. In Washington and in several European capitals, officials have reiterated calls for restraint and for the protection of civilians, while supporting efforts to facilitate humanitarian access in Gaza and northern Israel. The international community continues to monitor the rapidly shifting dynamics, ready to respond should negotiations resume or a new crisis emerge.