Russia's Foreign Ministry said on January 19 that Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov held talks with Mousa Abu Marzouk, a senior member of Hamas, which has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union, to discuss the "ongoing tension in the zone of the Palestine-Israel conflict" and "the humanitarian crisis in Gaza sector that has reached catastrophic scales." The Russian side "stressed the need for the speedy release of civilians captured during the attacks of October 7, 2023, and held by Palestinian factions, including three Russian citizens," a statement from the Foreign Ministry added.
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