Hamas has said it will release two Russians as well as the 10 Israeli hostages set to be freed today.
This is not the first time the group has made exceptions for Russian citizens, after Russian-Israeli Ron Krivoi was released in what Hamas called an act of “appreciation” of Moscow’s position.
It was the only world power openly engaging with the group during the war, Hamas said.
In total, seven people with Russian citizenship were taken hostage, according to the Israeli government.
Hamas Politburo member Abu Marzouk told Russian state news agency RIA last month that Hamas viewed Moscow’s request for the freedom of Russian citizens “more positively and attentively than the others, given the character of our relations with Russia”.
