Israel’s strong reaction was caused by visit of the Hamas delegation in Moscow. The Israeli government on Wednesday called on Russia to expel the Hamas delegation, saying its invitation to the Russian capital she was “sad”.

“Hamas is a terrorist organization worse than the Islamic State. The hands of senior Hamas officials arethey have the blood of more than 1,400 Israelis who were massacred, murdered, executed and burned. ((Hamas operatives) are responsible for the kidnapping of more than 220 Israelis, including infants, children, women and the elderly,” the Israeli Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Moscow: “We are negotiating the release of the hostages”

The release of the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza is being negotiated by the Russian government in Moscow, according to a statement issued earlier by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Delegations from Hamas, as well as from Iran, traveled on Thursday to Moscow, where talks are being held on a possible resolution of the crisis with Israel.

As stated by the Russian Foreign Ministry, Moscow asked him Abu Marzouka member of the political wing of Hamas, the release of the hostages and the evacuation of citizens with Russian passports from the area.

The Iranian deputy minister spoke with his Russian counterpart Mikhail Bogdanov. The two men discussed “the unprecedented escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” according to the Russian Foreign Ministry. “The need to stop hostilities in and around the Gaza Strip and to quickly provide humanitarian aid to the affected Palestinian population has been reaffirmed.”

“Moscow and Tehran remain determined to continue closely coordinating efforts aimed at stabilizing the situation in the Middle East,” Russian diplomacy added.

On Tuesday, the Kremlin said no progress had been made on freeing the Russian hostages kidnapped by Hamas, even admitting it did not know how many there were.

Russian diplomacy previously said at least 20 Russian-Israelis were killed and two kidnapped during the October 7 Hamas attacks.

Hundreds of Russian citizens also live in the Gaza Strip, which is the target of Israeli bombardment.

Russia, unlike the US, does not consider Hamas a terrorist organization and has always maintained relations with it.

While Moscow condemned the October 7 attacks on Israeli civilians, it also insists on the need for a Palestinian state to end the conflict and warned Israel of the consequences of an indiscriminate murderous attack.