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Middle East conflict

Russian envoy briefs families on what is being done to free their relatives from Gaza

It is pointed out that "the compatriots were informed about the active efforts being undertaken by the Russian Foreign Ministry in coordination with all parties involved"

MOSCOW, November 28. /TASS/. Russian Special Presidential Envoy for the Middle East and Africa Mikhail Bogdanov has met with the family members of Russian citizens being held hostage in the Gaza Strip and reported on measures being taken to free their relatives, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"On November 28, Russian Special Presidential Envoy for the Middle East and Africa Mikhail Bogdanov received the family members of Russian citizens being held hostage in the Gaza Strip," the ministry noted.

"During the conversation, which was attended by Israeli Ambassador to Moscow Alexander Ben Zvi, the compatriots were informed about the active efforts being undertaken by the Russian Foreign Ministry in coordination with all parties involved, including the Israeli authorities and the leadership of the Hamas movement, to return the captured Russian citizens home as soon as possible," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

As the ministry noted, the meeting was marked by the hope that "this priority task for the Russian side will be successfully accomplished."

Earlier, Bogdanov met with the family of Russian Ron Krivoy, who was released from the Gaza Strip. His relatives thanked the ministry for its assistance. In late October, Bogdanov told TASS that representatives of Hamas promised to respond to Moscow's request to release eight Russians being held hostage.

The Hamas movement announced on November 22 that an agreement on a four-day humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip had been reached through the mediation of Qatar and Egypt. The agreement stipulates the release of 50 women and children under the age of 19 who are held in Gaza in exchange for the release of 150 women and children under the age of 19 from Israeli prisons. The Gaza ceasefire took effect at 7:00 a.m. local time (5:00 a.m. GMT) on November 24, when the first group of hostages was released.

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