Palestinian militant group Hamas is seeking Russia’s assistance in pushing Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas towards establishing a national unity government for post-war Gaza. In discussions with the Russian state news agency, RIA, senior Hamas official Mousa Abu Marzouk expressed the need for negotiations to begin.
Marzouk, a member of the Hamas politburo, met with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov in Moscow to address the issue of Palestinian national unity and the governance of Gaza after the war. Hamas has urged Russia to motivate Abbas, who is currently at the BRICS summit in Kazan, to initiate talks about a unity government, RIA reported.
Despite historical tensions between Abbas’ Fatah faction and Hamas, the call for unity government highlights the complexity of Palestinian politics and the ongoing struggle for autonomy and independence.