Israeli media comments on Hamas delegation visit to Moscow

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The Russian ministry of foreign affairs will receive on Thursday the Hamas delegation that arrived in Moscow on Tuesday night, a high-ranking diplomatic source said Wednesday.

When asked if he could confirm information about a Hamas delegation arriving in Moscow, the source told Sputnik, "We will receive them tomorrow at the ministry of foreign affairs."

A Hamas delegation had arrived in Moscow earlier today at the invitation of the Russian foreign ministry. A similar delegation had visited Moscow in December, and they discussed several pivotal issues with Moscow.

The delegation will hold meetings with Russian Foreign Ministry officials, including Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, to discuss the situation in occupied Al-Quds, the latest developments in occupied Palestine, and Hamas-Russian relations.

The delegation is also set to meet with the head of the Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, and could meet with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. 

'Israel' is discontent

Israeli media commented on the prospects of the visit, seeing as the tensions between "Israel" and Russia are growing deeper, with said media speaking of "Israeli discontent" from the delegation's official visit.

The delegation includes high-ranking officials, such as Fathi Hamad and Husam Badran, and the meetings will see them discussing the Israeli assaults on Islamic and Christian sanctities in occupied Al-Quds, Russia's support for Palestinians, and the ties between Hamas and Russia, Israeli media reported.

Israeli-Russian tensions persist

After Moscow on Tuesday accused the Israeli occupation of supporting "the neo-Nazi regime in Kiev," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova confirmed today that "Israeli" mercenaries are fighting alongside extremist nationalists in Ukraine.

Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid on Monday criticized Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, claiming that the latter made an "unforgivable and outrageous statement as well as a terrible historical error" and summoned Moscow's Ambassador for a "tough talk".

"Lavrov's statements are the climax of the deterioration of the very complex Russian-Israeli relations," Israeli Channel 12 said, stressing that the deterioration has been in effect since the start of the war in Ukraine and peaked when "Tel Aviv" pledged to help Kiev through thousand of helmets and body armor.

Previously, senior Israeli officials, including Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, claimed that Russia "committed war crimes in Ukraine."

Moscow dismissed the Israeli allegations. "The statements of the Israeli foreign minister are regretful. They are a poorly disguised attempt to use the situation regarding Ukraine to divert the attention of the international community from one of the oldest unresolved conflicts, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict," the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.