President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday met with Russian-Israeli national Alexander Troufanov, who was freed earlier this year after being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza, crediting Moscows longstanding ties with Palestinian groups for helping secure his release.Troufanov, 29, was among the hostages freed in February after 498 days in captivity as part of an Israeli-Hamas ceasefire deal.
He appeared at the Kremlin meeting alongside his mother, Yelena Troufanova, and fiance Sapir Cohen, who were also kidnapped on Oct.
7, 2023, and released the following month.The fact that you were released is a result of Russias stable, long-term relationships with the Palestinian people, their representatives and various organizations, Putin told the family, adding that he wanted to avoid political assessments of the hostage crisis.I think we should express gratitude to the Hamas leadership and political wing for meeting us halfway and carrying out this humanitarian act in releasing you, the Kremlin leader added.Russia maintains working relationships with both Israel and the Palestinian authorities, as well as with Hamas, which Moscow does not consider a terrorist organization.
Putin has repeatedly called for the establishment of a Palestinian state as a long-term resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.The Troufanov family emigrated from Russia to Israel in the late 1990s.
They were abducted from the Nir Oz kibbutz near the Gaza border during Hamas assault on southern Israel in October 2023.
Troufanovs father, Vitaly, was killed in the attack.During the Kremlin meeting on Wednesday, Troufanov thanked Putin for his role in securing the familys release and urged him to continue efforts to help free other Israeli hostages still held in Gaza.Russias Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar and the head of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia, Alexander Boroda, also attended the Kremlin meeting.A Message from The Moscow Times:Dear readers,We are facing unprecedented challenges.
Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution.
This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia.
The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced.
But to continue our work, we need your help.Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference.
If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2.
It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression.
Thank you for standing with us.Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later.Remind me next monthThank you! Your reminder is set.We will send you one reminder email a month from now.
For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy.