Moscow says it ‘positively’ evaluates release of Russian citizen by Hamas

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Moscow said on Monday that it “positively” evaluated the release of a Russian citizen by the Palestinian group Hamas a day earlier.

“We positively evaluate the gesture of goodwill shown by the leadership of the Hamas movement and its readiness for constructive interaction in solving humanitarian problems that are of particular importance to us,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement.

Zakharova said that the Russian citizen was released in coordination with Israeli authorities and with the assistance of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), adding that the person was returned outside of the hostage swap deal between Israel and Hamas.

“In contact with all parties involved, we will continue to strive for the speedy release of the remaining Russian hostages,” she added.

On Sunday, Taher al-Nono, a political adviser to Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, told Russian state news agency TASS that the group handed a Russian citizen over to the ICRC.