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Hamas said it would "consider" Russia's request to release hostage Maxim Herkin, whose daughter and mother hold Russian citizenship, Russian news agency TASS reported Friday. No further details were provided.
Earlier this month, senior Hamas official Mousa Abu Marzouk visited Moscow and said Herkin's release would be decided in the negotiations of the deal’s second phase with Israel. He added Hamas was willing to prioritize him, after previously promising that Sasha Trupanov would be freed soon.
A week earlier, Israeli Ambassador to Moscow Simona Halperin revealed that Israel and Russia were working together to secure the release of three hostages held in Gaza who are not included in the first phase of the deal and do not hold Russian citizenship.
In an interview with Russian news outlet RBC, she identified one of them as 36-year-old Maxim Herkin, originally from Donbas and living in Tirat Carmel. While he is not a Russian citizen, his daughter was born and resides in Russia and his mother received Russian citizenship after his abduction. The names of the other two hostages were not disclosed.
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"We truly hope the Russians can help. I sincerely believe that Russia could facilitate the release of these three hostages if it demands it persistently enough," Halperin said.
Russia's diplomatic efforts began in March 2024, according to Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, President Vladimir Putin’s envoy to the Middle East and Africa.
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Israeli Ambassador to Moscow Simona Halperin and Russian President Vladimir Putin
(Photo: YURI KOCHETKOV / POOL / AFP)
In June, reports said that "Hamas leadership promised Russia it would release two Russian citizens still held in Gaza, but this requires a cease-fire" to allow their transfer to the Red Cross. "As early as March, we actively raised these issues with Hamas to release Russian citizens without an agreement," Bogdanov said.
Activist Alex Tenzer suggested Hamas might make a "gesture" toward Russia and release 34 hostages in the deal’s first phase, including Herkin, adding that failing to release the two Russian citizens would be a slap in the face to Moscow.