"Hamas always takes into account the requests of the Russian side"
Russian citizen Alexander Trufanov, held hostage in the Gaza Strip, is not injured and feels well. Deputy head of the Hamas politburo Musa Abu Marzouk told Izvestia in an interview, adding that Trufanov would soon be released. The Palestinian movement will also take into account the wishes of the Russian side when discussing the future of Donbass native Maxim Kharkin. At the same time, Hamas expressed hope that Russia would take part in the restoration of Gaza's infrastructure. Israel prevents the import of humanitarian goods there, which was a violation of the deal, said Musa Abu Marzouk. What results the inter-Palestinian dialog has achieved and how Hamas reacted to Donald Trump's statements on the eviction of Palestinians to Egypt and Jordan - in an exclusive interview with Izvestia.
"Maxim is a military man, and his fate will be decided at the second stage of the deal"
- You arrived in Moscow to meet with Russian representatives. Why does Hamas maintain continuous communication with Russia?
- Russia is a big country whose presence in the Middle East and in the world must be constant. And we are a major political actor in the region - we are actually a major player in this war in the Gaza Strip with Israel. Russia is interested in following the developments in the region, especially in the Palestinian issue, and we in the movement believe it is necessary for the RF to play a role in these processes.
In addition, there should be a balance both at the global level and at the regional level. Therefore, it is very important that there is constant communication between us and Russia to examine all processes and issues that concern both sides in the region. The invitation to visit Moscow, as in previous visits, came in order to fulfill these common goals.
- Do you have any information on the state of health of hostage Alexander Trufanov, a citizen of the Russian Federation and Israel, who is currently being held in Gaza. Earlier there were reports that he had been wounded. Was he injured as a result of the Israeli bombardment?
- No, he is fine and will soon be released as part of an exchange deal. He is, of course, still young and was not originally supposed to be included in the current humanitarian phase of the deal, which involved the release of women, the elderly, the sick.
But he will be released soon. By the way, we always prioritize the requests of the Russian side. In November 2023, we did not release any of the men held, except for one Russian, out of respect for President Vladimir Putin and his position on the Palestinian issue. Hamas always takes into account the requests of the Russian side.
Ron Krivoy, a Russian-Israeli citizen, was released by Hamas as a special gesture, outside the parameters of the November 2023 temporary truce between Israel and the Palestinian movement, which did not allow for the release of adult males. Hamas attributed his release to Russian President Vladimir Putin's intervention and "Russia's support for the Palestinian cause."
- Is it too early to talk about a specific day for Trufanov's release?
- I will communicate a specific date to the Russian official side.
- And what about Maxim Kharkin, a native of Donetsk?
- Maxim is a military man, and his fate will be decided at the second stage of the deal. We will also take into account the wishes of the Russian side.
On February 3, discussions began on the second stage of the Gaza agreement, which provides for the exchange of the remaining hostages for Palestinian prisoners and the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from the exclave. To discuss the parameters of the deal, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with US President Donald Trump on February 4. And U.S. special envoy for the Middle East Steve Whitkoff will talk this week with Qatar's head of government and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdel Rahman Al-Thani and Egyptian officials.
"We are grateful for Russia's support for the Palestinian people"
- Now the fighting in Gaza has stopped and life is returning to the Strip. How can you assess Russia's role in resolving the conflict in Gaza especially in the hostage issues?
- Of course, we always want the Russian side to be present in all these negotiations and in all the mediation contacts, so that the Russian side is involved as a counterbalance to the American side. We have always wanted this because Russia supports the Palestinian side and the US supports the Israeli side.
But Israel has categorically rejected Moscow's role in the negotiations. Israel has always tried to distance all influential parties internationally from the issue. Israel didn't even want European countries to participate in the discussions.
But on the other hand, in the political field, Russia has always fulfilled its role, especially on the platform of the United Nations and in its bodies. We are grateful for Russia's support for the Palestinian people.
- The humanitarian situation in the Strip has been catastrophic. Has the situation improved since the start of humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza under the deal?
- The Israeli aggressor is still preventing the entry of many of the things he agreed to deliver as part of the deal, especially debris removal supplies, fuel, tents and mobile shelters. It continues to prevent the entry of those things, and that is a violation of the signed agreement.
We believe that just as Russia played a significant political role while the war was going on, it should also be involved in reconstruction, shelter, debris removal and patient treatment because Russia should be present in all world processes, especially now in the Middle East. Moscow must play a weighty role in the region.
- Recently, plans were announced to hold an international conference on Palestine in June 2025. Is Hamas' participation in this conference possible?
- This conference will be for state institutions, governments, not for organizations, and therefore the Palestinian Authority will attend this conference and Hamas will not be invited to attend. However, if an invitation does come, the movement will definitely accept it.
- There were meetings between representatives of Hamas and Fatah in Cairo. At what stage is the dialog between the factions? Are there any tangible results?
- There are no tangible results, of course, because this is an old new crisis. We signed an agreement in Moscow to form a national unity government, join the PLO and act together, but neither the Palestinian Authority nor the Fatah movement honored the agreement.
We signed the same thing in Beijing, and they again did not honor the agreement. In addition, an agreement was reached between Hamas and Fatah on the Public Support Committee, but that too was then rejected by the Fatah movement and the Government.
We are in a continuous crisis because of the lack of commitment to those agreements, including the documents signed in Cairo. However, we welcome dialogue and our hand is outstretched to work together and implement all that we have agreed to.
Hamas is holding regular consultations with the Fatah movement. The parties are discussing the formation of an interim structure that would oversee the administration of Gaza until a unified government is established. The body has been named the Public Support Committee. It is expected to be composed of technocrats who do not belong to any political party.
"We urge President Trump to be more fair".
- Does Hamas have a vision for the future of the military wing of the Al-Qassam Brigade? The latest hostage release footage shows that Al-Qassam still has a strong influence on the streets of Gaza, what will happen in the future?
- The massive presence of their fighters in these minutes was to ensure that the hostages were handed over safely and that they were not harmed, because we paid a lot to keep these people alive and well until the moment of the exchange. Do you want to see the dignified conditions of the Israeli hostages and the deplorable situation of the Palestinian hostages?
Our humane treatment should be understood in the right context, and it is not a message of force from Al-Qassam to Israel, but rather a message of the need to keep these people and hand them over to the other side, as our religion tells us to do, or as international instruments instruct us to do.
As for the future, all of this will turn out to be the subject of political agreements, and there is no talk on this topic because it requires a lot of agreements and details.
- U.S. President Donald Trump recently announced a plan or the possibility of evicting Palestinians from Gaza to Egypt and Jordan. How do you interpret these words?
- Of course, for the US, this issue has no objective context. Americans talk about preventing migration to the States and at the same time they want to evict another people. It is contradictory and wrong to put it forward in such a crude way. Jordan and Egypt have also rejected this proposal, and all countries in the region reject the displacement of Palestinians.
Moreover, the Palestinians have not been displaced by the Israelis, despite the war of extermination they have waged against this resilient and patient people. Therefore, we reject this logic and call on President Trump to be more just and fair, to grant the Palestinian people their rights, and not to look at the situation from only one perspective.
The Palestinian people will not leave their land and will remain steadfast.
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