Russian special envoy for the Middle East and North Africa and deputy foreign minister Mikhail Bogdanov met Thursday with Hamas political bureau member Moussa Abu Marzook. The two representatives discussed the overall situation in occupied Palestine and the Gaza Strip.

"The situation in the Middle East was discussed in detail with a focus on the situation in the Palestinian territories and especially in the Gaza Strip. At the same time, there was a detailed exchange of views on the tasks of restoring Palestinian national unity on the platform of the Palestine Liberation Organization," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.

في زيارة إلى #موسكو، التقينا السيد نائب وزير الخارجية الروسي، ميخائيل بوغدانوف، واستعرضنا معه الانتهاكات الاسرائيلية المستمرة في #فلسطين، وأكدنا على حق شعبنا في مقاومة الاحتلال، وأن استمرار هذه الانتهاكات لن يقودنا إلى التنازلات ولكن إلى استمرار المقاومة والنضال حتى ننتصر . pic.twitter.com/lyhwJCFdsk

— د. موسى أبو مرزوق DR. Mousa Abumarzook (@mosa_abumarzook) December 8, 2021

Following the meeting, Abu Marzook, in a tweet, stressed the right of Palestinian people "to resist the occupation," he added that the continuation of violations "will not lead us to concessions but to the continuation of resistance and struggle until we win."

The parties took into consideration the readiness of the Russian side to organize in Moscow a new uniting meeting of the leading Palestinian movements, the statement added. 

Moscow also reaffirmed its support for a peaceful settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian "conflict".

The meeting also saw the parties stressing the importance of avoiding unilateral steps capable of "provoking another escalation of tension between Palestinians and Israelis, including settlement activity, destruction of civil infrastructure, and calls for violence," the foreign ministry reported.