Tensions between Russia and Israel have been heating up since the special military operation in Ukraine. The Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, welcomed the Hamas delegation in Moscow where they discussed various issues concerning Palestine and west Asia on 12 September.
“During the conversation, attention was paid to developments in the Middle East, with a focus on the Palestinian issue,” according to the official press release by the Russian foreign ministry.
The Hamas delegation to Moscow is headed by Ismail Haniyeh, who was elected prime minister in the Palestinian legislative elections in 2006 but was dismissed by President Abbas in 2007 during the Fatah-Hamas conflict.
Musa Abu Marzouk, Maher Salah, and the movement’s deputy head, Saleh Aruri, were included in the visit.
The Hamas delegation arrived in Moscow on 9 September to discuss Israeli aggressions with a “new plan”. This is the second official visit of a Hamas delegation to Russia in 2022.
According to a press statement released by Hamas media advisor Taher al-Nono, Haniyeh will meet with Sergei Lavrov and other officials to talk about the state of affairs in the occupied territories.
Al-Nono added that “this visit, which comes at the invitation of the Russian Foreign Ministry, will last for several days, and aims to discuss prospects for bilateral relations to serve the Palestinian cause.”
According to reports, Haniyeh will present “new ideas” containing specific strategies for forging a Palestinian national front against Israeli aggressions.
The Russian government supports a resolution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict by applying the UN General Assembly and the UN Security Council resolutions.
Diplomatic relations between Russia and Israel have become increasingly tense, following Russia’s special operation in Ukraine.
In May, Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova condemned Israeli mercenaries for fighting side-by-side with the Azov Battalion, a Ukrainian far-right neo-nazi militia. She accussed Israel that this could not happen without the approval of Tel Aviv.
Meanwhile, Israel has sold weapons systems to Poland, which will likely end up in the hand of the western-backed government of Ukraine, despite an arms sales ban to Ukraine.
Sergei Lavrov (left) and Ismail Haniyeh (right) in March 2020. (Photo credit: Al Mayadeen Net)