Putin does not plan to meet with Hamas, Fatah representatives in Moscow

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Vladimir Putin does not intend to meet with representatives of Hamas and Fatah, who are arriving in Moscow for an "inter-Palestinian meeting."

Delegations from Fatah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) are arriving in Moscow to discuss the creation of a "national government" for Gaza. The so-called "inter-Palestinian meeting" is scheduled for February 29. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared that its goal is to "overcome internal divisions." Hamas and Islamic Jihad seek inclusion in the Palestine Liberation Organization. Fatah sets conditions for forming a new government: commitment to the Oslo Accords and unification of laws and armed forces in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

The Hamas delegation at the Moscow talks is led by the deputy politburo chief of this terrorist organization, Mousa Abu Marzook, and the Fatah delegation is headed by a member of the PLO Executive Committee, Azzam al-Ahmad.

The Russian authorities do not recognize either Hamas or Islamic Jihad as terrorist organizations. Moscow continues to maintain regular contacts with the leadership of Hamas and Islamic Jihad at the level of the Russian Foreign Ministry. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev met with Hamas leaders. President of Russia Vladimir Putin refrains from public personal contacts with Hamas representatives. Khaled Mashal, who chaired the Hamas politburo for many years, visited Moscow in March 2006, February 2007, and February 2010. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with Mashal twice in Damascus – in March 2008 and May 2009, stating his support for "continuity in relations" between Russia and Hamas. From 2007 to 2011, a representative of the Hamas leadership, Osama Hamdan, repeatedly visited Moscow, participating in various events in the Russian capital. He also attended the presentation of Alexander Prokhanov's book "Hamas – Praise to the Heroes" in November 2008. Ismail Haniyeh was first received by the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry in March 2020, followed by their meeting in September 2022. Lavrov had previously met with Haniyeh's deputy, Musa Abu Marzook, in Moscow. In January 2017, Lavrov called representatives of the Fatah, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad leadership "dear guests" and "dear friends."

After the tragic events on October 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists and other groups attacked Israeli territory, killing over a thousand people and kidnapping hundreds of civilians, the Russian Foreign Ministry repeatedly received Hamas delegations despite the fact that there were Russian citizens among the killed, wounded, and abducted. Moscow takes credit for the release of some Russian citizens who were held hostage by terrorists in Gaza.

Many analysts note that the Russian authorities have become one of the primary beneficiaries of the current war in Israel. Events in the Middle East not only diverted attention from the war in Ukraine but also led to a reduction in military aid to Ukraine.