MOSCOW, November 13. /TASS/. Russia has received requests from its European allies for assistance in securing the release of hostages held by Hamas, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said in an interview with TASS following the First Ministerial Conference Russia-Africa.

"They are foreign nationals, but some, in fact, are from families who survived the Holocaust. And there are individuals whose release is being sought by our very close friends, even in European countries. We are addressing this," said Bogdanov, who also serves as special presidential envoy for the Middle East and Africa.

According to the latest updates from Israel, the Palestinian militant group is still holding 101 people hostage in Gaza.

Tensions erupted again in the Middle East on October 7, 2023, after militants from the Gaza Strip-based Palestinian group Hamas launched a surprise attack into Israeli territory, killing many Israeli kibbutz residents living near the Gaza border and abducting hundreds of Israelis. Israel declared a total blockade of the Gaza Strip and initiated bombardments of the enclave and some areas in Lebanon and Syria, as well as a ground operation against Hamas in the Palestinian enclave.

On September 23, Israel launched Operation Northern Arrows against the Lebanon-based Hezbollah Shia movement, carrying out massive airstrikes on its military targets. The Israeli army announced the start of a ground operation in the border areas of southern Lebanon in the early hours of October 1.