MOSCOW, February 1. /TASS/. Getting Russian hostages out of the Gaza Strip is Moscow’s top priority when talking with Hamas, and these efforts will continue, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Russian Presidential Special Envoy for the Middle East and Africa, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, discussed ongoing initiatives during a meeting with Russian Chief Rabbi Berl Lazar and the family of Alexander Trufanov, a Russian citizen held hostage in Gaza.

"The Russian deputy foreign minister emphasized that Russian diplomacy will continue to persistently seek the release of all our compatriots held in the Palestinian enclave. Moreover, it was confirmed that this particularly significant humanitarian issue is a priority for us in contacts with representatives of the Hamas political wing, as well as the authorities of a number of countries in the Middle East, in coordination with which the relevant targeted work is being carried out," the department said after the meeting.

The parties also discussed humanitarian dimensions of the ongoing hostilities in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict zone. "Within the ongoing armed confrontation in the Middle East, which has a strongly pronounced religious component, Bogdanov emphasized the importance of being sensitive to interethnic issues and the inadmissibility of statements and actions that could disrupt inter-faith harmony in Russia," the ministry pointed out.

Trufanov's relatives expressed their gratitude to the Russian government for the vigorous steps taken, which culminated in their release from captivity. They also voiced their hope for equally effective actions that will help Alexander return home.