Mousa Abu Marzouk, deputy head of Hamas’s political bureau, announced that the group is ready to prioritize the release of two Russian nationals held in Gaza, Alexandre Troufanov and Maxin Herkin, in a potential future deal with Israel, during an interview with the Kremlin-backed media outlet RIA Novosti, on Thursday.
Abu Marzouk stated that Troufanov is currently in the custody of Islamic Jihad and was captured during the fighting. “He will be exchanged for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel,” he said.
Regarding Herkin, Abu Marzouk explained that Herkin was a Ukrainian citizen when captured. “His family later relocated to Russia and secured citizenship for him, enabling Russia to intervene in efforts to free him. However, he is not a Russian citizen but a former Israeli army soldier,” he said.
Despite this, Abu Marzouk emphasized that out of respect for their Russian counterparts, Troufanov and Herkin will be prioritized for release.
On Wednesday night, Abu Marzouk met with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov. The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that their meeting focused on the issue of hostages held in Gaza.
Previous promises
Hamas has made similar statements in the past, saying they would prioritize the release of Troufanov in a deal, along with Alexander Lubanov. However, Lubanov was executed by Hamas in Rafah in September.
The PIJ released two videos of Troufanov in May, asking the Israeli public to keep protesting and call for a ceasefire so that he could be brought home.
