MOSCOW, March 1. /TASS/. Russian Presidential Special Representative for the Middle East and Africa, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov focused on the situation in the area of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and also called for the release of hostages during his talks with Mousa Abu Marzouk, deputy chairman of Hamas’ political bureau, and his delegation, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement published on its website.

"The conversation focused on the results of the intra-Palestinian meeting that ended in Moscow. Additionally, they touched upon the situation in the area of the Israeli-Palestinian armed confrontation, against the backdrop of which the humanitarian situation is continuing to deteriorate in a disastrous way," the ministry said.

The ministry pointed out that Moscow emphasized the need to release the civilians (including three Russian citizens) who were captured on October 7, 2023 and have been held hostage in the Gaza Strip since then.

It was previously reported that representatives from various Palestinian movements would meet in Moscow from February 29 through March 1-2, for consultations in order to overcome an internal split. The Russian side provided a venue for the meeting between delegates from factions within the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), including the Fatah movement, as well as participants from Hamas and the Islamic Jihad group. In all, envoys from more than 10 organizations have arrived in Moscow for the meeting.