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Putin meets former Gaza hostages, thanks Hamas for their release

Russian president tells former Gaza hostages they must thank the Hamas leadership for the “humanitarian” step.

By World Israel News Staff

Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted a delegation to the Kremlin Wednesday that included several former captives taken hostage on October 7, 2023, and held by terrorists in the Gaza Strip.

The Kremlin meeting included Sapir Cohen, 29; her boyfriend, Sasha Troufanov, 29; and Troufanov’s mother, Yelena, 50. The three were abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz, along with Yelena’s mother, Irina Tati, 73. Yelena’s husband was murdered by Hamas terrorists.

Irina and Yelena, both Russian citizens, were released by Hamas in November 2023 as a goodwill gesture to Moscow.

Cohen was freed that same month as part of the first Gaza ceasefire deal.

Troufanov, who also holds Russian citizenship, was returned to Israel in February, during the second Gaza truce.

Also in attendance were Russian Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar, a longtime associate of President Putin, and Rabbi Alexander Boroda, president of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Russia.

During the meeting, Putin expressed shock after hearing about Troufanov’s 498-day captivity in Gaza and vowed to work toward the release of the remaining 59 hostages. Israeli intelligence estimates that among them, 35 have died in captivity.

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The Russian president lauded Hamas leaders for freeing the hostages, calling their release a “humanitarian act” – likely a reference to the freeing of Irina and Yelena in November 2023.

“The fact that you managed to go free is the result of the fact that Russia has stable, longterm relations with the Palestinian people, with its representatives, and with a wide variety of organizations,” Putin said, adding that “we need to express words of gratitude to the leadership of the political wing of Hamas for cooperating with us and carrying out this humanitarian act.”

“We will do everything to ensure that such acts happen as often as possible ,” he continued, “and that all the people who are still in the same conditions that you had been in are also released.”