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Middle East conflict

Moscow making efforts to free Russian citizens from Hamas’ captivity — ambassador

Anatoly Viktorov refrained from saying how many Russians are kept hostage

MOSCOW, November 10. /TASS/. Moscow is making efforts to free Russian nationals who are being held hostage by Hamas, but so far the parties to the conflict are advancing unacceptable terms, Russian Ambassador to Israel Anatoly Viktorov said on Friday.

"We are making efforts to free a number of Israeli nationals who also have Russian citizenship. We maintain channels of communication with decision-making parties. But, regrettably, both sides are putting forward conditions that are unacceptable for each other," he said in an interview with the Rossiya-24 television channel.

He refrained from saying how many Russians are kept hostage. "I’d prefer not to speak about the numbers so as not to create unnecessary emotions and expectations, but there are not very many of them, just a few," he said.

"I hope that Israel’s leaders know what they are doing. As for me, I am worried over their thinking that they will be able to get hostages freed with a ground operation. How do they intend to do this? If they accidentally come across and release them?" he noted.

Viktorov said earlier that Hamas was holding some five or six Russian nationals hostage. According to Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, Moscow is making efforts to resolve the situation around the release of Russian hostages.

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