Will Russia replace US in Palestinian prisoner swap deal?
The Russian ties with Turkey and Iran may help it to embark on secret negotiations with Hamas to release Israeli soldiers detained in the Gaza Strip.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — It appears that Russia is seeking to assume a greater role in the Middle East, through sensitive dossiers, most notably the one related to Israeli soldiers who have gone missing in the Gaza Strip. This comes in light of a declining US role in the region, particularly in the Palestinian-Israeli settlement.
During a press conference with his Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Nov. 10 that Russia expressed its readiness to bring back the Israeli soldiers that went missing in the Gaza Strip. He thanked Medvedev for his willingness to assist in an important humanitarian issue, namely the return of the bodies of Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin. Shaul and Goldin were killed during the Israeli war on Gaza in summer 2014.
While Russia is trying to assume an important role in the missing Israeli soldiers’ dossier, Hamas has remained silent and refused to make any statements or disclose any information on the missing Israeli soldiers in Gaza, as leverage against Israel to demand the release of Palestinian prisoners.
Al-Monitor tried to learn about Hamas’ stance toward Netanyahu's statement, but Hamas spokespeople at home and abroad refused to make any comments on the issue.
