CAIRO, November 13. /TASS/. The military wing of the radical Palestinian Islamic Jihad group, Saraya al-Quds, has released a video on its Telegram channel showing a young man who identifies himself as Alexander Trufanov, a Russian citizen being held hostage in the Gaza Strip.
He reported that he was "in dire straits," with hardly "any food, water, or electricity." The man added that his life was "constantly at risk due to the ongoing bombardment" of the enclave. He stated that "the fighting in Gaza, conducted under the pretext of releasing hostages, is not achieving the intended result." The captive added that "many [hostages] have been killed in clashes and bombings, while far fewer have been released."
He also expressed concerns that with the start of the Israeli army's operation in Lebanon, "the hostages in Gaza are beginning to be forgotten," and that in the event of a possible Israeli confrontation with Iran, "the case of the hostages [held in Gaza] could be completely abandoned."
On June 8, the Israeli army press service reported a special operation in the Nuseirat area of the Gaza Strip that led to the release of four Israelis kidnapped on October 7, 2023. Those freed included Noa Agramani, 25, Almog Meir, 21, Shlomi Ziv, 40, and Andrey Kozlov, 27, who also holds a Russian passport. Following the release, Russian Ambassador to Israel Anatoly Viktorov met with Kozlov and his family, assuring them that Russia will continue targeted efforts to free all hostages in the enclave, including Russian nationals.
On November 8, Russian Ambassador to Qatar Dmitry Dogadkin informed TASS that Russian diplomats are actively working with all involved parties to secure the release of Russians held in the Gaza Strip. He noted that Russian citizen Alexander Trufanov and Donetsk native Maxim Kharkin remain captive in the Palestinian enclave.