UNITED NATIONS, October 26. /TASS/. The Hamas movement is ready to release civilian hostages but the global community needs to pay attention to 6,000 Palestinians held in Israeli jails, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said.

"We have held a series of talks with Hamas, which showed that the movement is ready to release civilian hostages but the world needs to support the release of 6,000 Palestinians who are being held in Israeli jails," he said, addressing a special session of the UN General Assembly on protecting civilians in Palestine.

On October 20, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades (IQB, the military wing of Hamas) announced the Qatar-brokered release of two female US civilians.

The Israeli army has information about 224 people held hostage by Hamas. According to Russian Ambassador to Israel Anatoly Viktorov, there are at least three Russian nationals among the hostages.

Tensions in the Middle East flared up again after Hamas militants infiltrated Israel from the Gaza Strip on October 7. The Palestinian movement described its attack as a response to the actions of Israeli authorities against the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Jerusalem's Temple Mount. Israel announced a total blockade of Gaza and started carrying out strikes on the Palestinian enclave, as well as on certain areas in Lebanon and Syria. Clashes are also taking place in the West Bank.