In a statement released by the Qatar Foreign Ministry, it has been highlighted that the ongoing Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip are hindering the process of freeing hostages held by the radical Hamas movement. The Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, discussed this matter with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during a meeting in Amman.
According to the statement, the Qatari Prime Minister emphasized that Qatar is striving to assist in the release of the hostages. He stated that the bombardments are complicating their liberation and exacerbating the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.
Previously, Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary for the Russian President, had stated that there was progress in negotiations for the return of Russian citizens held captive by Hamas. The Kremlin representative also added that the decision to release hostages in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict zone requires coordination between multiple parties.
In late October, a diplomatic source informed TASS that there were chances of retrieving eight Russian citizens who were captured by Hamas militants on October 7 during an attack on Israel. The diplomat mentioned that persistent efforts are being made to address this issue.
During that time, it was also revealed that the number of Russian citizens awaiting evacuation from the Gaza Strip had exceeded 500, with over 900 individuals listed for evacuation. In early November, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the Israeli authorities would grant permission for Russian citizens to leave the Gaza Strip through the Rafah Crossing Point.
Earlier, Hamas had declared that it would release foreign hostages “when circumstances allow.”
