On Thursday, February 29, Palestinian factions have begun a three-day meeting in Moscow in order to achieve a reconciliation and push for an end to the current war in Gaza.
Vitaly Naumkin, Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies, addressed the participants, welcoming them and wishing them success.
Russian state news agency TASS, citing Hamas, reports: "Palestinian factions gathered for a meeting in Moscow have emphasized the need for unity among Palestinians to end the Israeli occupation and to counter external forces supporting the Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip."
The factions condemned an attack by Israeli forces that took place several hours ago on the outskirts of Gaza City, resulting in dozens of casualties, referring to the tragic incident on Al-Rasheed Street in Gaza, where crowds of residents looted trucks carrying humanitarian aid.
"The Russian side provided a platform for the meeting of delegates from factions within the Palestine Liberation Organization, including Fatah, as well as participants from Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Representatives from over ten organizations have arrived for negotiations. According to Aiman Rakab, a member of Fatah who spoke to TASS, Palestinian factions at the Moscow meeting intend to reach a consensus on a unified Palestinian technocratic government," the TASS report stated.
The Hamas delegation at the talks in Moscow is led by the deputy politburo chief of the terrorist organization, Mousa Abu Marzook, while the Fatah delegation is led by a member of the PLO executive committee, Azzam al-Ahmad.
Hamas and Islamic Jihad are seeking inclusion in the Palestine Liberation Organization. Fatah has laid out conditions for forming a new government, including adherence to the Oslo Accords and unification of laws and armed forces in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
The Moscow meeting of representatives from leading Palestinian factions is taking place against the backdrop of an ongoing war that began after mass incursions by terrorists from Gaza into Israeli territory, resulting in the deaths of nearly a thousand Israeli citizens and soldiers. The IDF is conducting a military operation in the Gaza Strip, killing more than 12,000 terrorists. According to Hamas's Ministry of Health, tens of thousands of sector residents have died. International observers have reported that the sector has been so devastated that it is essentially uninhabitable. Practically all Palestinian factions are involved in the armed confrontation with the Israeli army – in Gaza, as well as in Judea and Samaria.
The previous "inter-Palestinian meeting," initiated by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, took place in February 2019. At that time, it was anticipated that a "Moscow declaration" would be adopted to overcome contradictions between various Palestinian factions. However, the "declaration" was not adopted – Hamas and Islamic Jihad refused to sign the document. Fatah had to apologize to the Russian authorities.
Russian authorities do not recognize 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 Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev met with Hamas leaders. Russian President Vladimir Putin refrains from publicly meeting with representatives of Hamas. Khaled Mashal, who led 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 that he advocated "continuity in relations" between Russia and Hamas. From 2007 to 2011, a representative of the Hamas leadership, Osama Hamdan, repeatedly visited Moscow. In January 2017, Lavrov called representatives of the Fatah, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad leadership "respected guests" and "dear friends."
Despite the tragic events of the October 7 attack when Hamas terrorists and other groups launched an attack on Israeli territory, killing over a thousand people and kidnapping hundreds of civilians, including Russian citizens, the Russian Foreign Ministry has repeatedly hosted Hamas delegations. 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 main beneficiaries of the current war in Israel. Events in the Middle East not only divert attention from the war in Ukraine but also have led to a reduction in military aid to Ukraine.
