TEL AVIV, January 31. /TASS/. Russian Ambassador to Israel Anatoly Viktorov has met with the parents of Russian citizen Alexander Lobanov, who is being held hostage in the Gaza Strip, the embassy's press service reported.

According to the embassy, Lobanov's relatives "expressed their gratitude to the Russian authorities for their vigorous and effective efforts to free their compatriots from the Palestinian semi-enclave and asked for help getting their son back from the Gaza Strip."

In his turn, the Russian ambassador talked about "purposeful work with all stakeholders in the region in the interests of the early release of all hostages." "He emphasized that Russia will continue to seek the release of A. G. Lobanov and other citizens," the message reads.

Following the escalation in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict zone on October 7, 2023, over 240 people were held hostage in the Gaza Strip, where full-scale fighting has been ongoing ever since. In late November, an agreement was reached on a humanitarian pause that lasted for several days. According to Israeli authorities, 110 people abducted on October 7 have been released during the pause. The Israeli side estimates that 136 hostages remain in Gaza at the moment.