Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh's recent visit to Moscow, which had been planned for over a year, was largely ignored by Russian media after being overshadowed by the escalation in Syria's Idlib. Russian foreign policy headquarters, however, paid close attention to it.

Haniyeh began his visit with meetings at the Russian Foreign Ministry, where he was hosted by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

“The officials held in-depth discussions on measures to restore Palestinian national unity on the political platform of the Palestine Liberation Organization, as well as on various aspects of developments in Gaza, including in the context of efforts taken toward a lasting and comprehensive settlement in the Middle East based on international law,” the ministry’s readout of the meeting said. The document also mentions that Russian President Vladimir Putin's special presidential representative for the Middle East and Africa, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, carried out additional “expansive consultations” with Haniyeh.

The Foreign Ministry’s comment shows that Moscow prioritizes the issue of Palestinian unity over Palestinian-Israeli reconciliation. However, Russian diplomats have always emphasized that peace between these countries would not be possible until the Palestinians reach a consensus among themselves. That is why a year ago Moscow hosted a summit of Palestinian political movements, though the event ended without even a signed joint statement.