Russia, Hamas Discuss Situation in Gaza Strip, Foreign Ministry Says

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov and deputy chief of the Hamas political bureau Moussa Abu Marzouk have discussed the situation in the Gaza Strip by phone, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.

"On July 7, at the initiative of the Palestinian side there was a phone conversation between Russian Deputy Foreign Minister and Special Presidential Representative for the Middle East and Africa Mikhail Bogdanov and Moussa Abu Marzouk, the deputy chief of the Hamas Political Bureau," the statement read.

During the talk, Abu Marzouk shared his views on the development of the situation as far as the necessity to resolve Palestinians’ economic and humanitarian problems, the ministry said.

The parties also discussed the issue of restoring Palestinian national unity as the basic premise for settling the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Clashes in East Jerusalem in early May led to the worst violence between Israel and Palestinians in the Gaza Strip in recent years. The sides exchanged thousands of rockets throughout the eleven days of conflict before an Egypt-brokered ceasefire was concluded on May 20.