Israeli PM sends adviser to Moscow for Gaza hostage talks

The military adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Roman Hoffman, has paid a visit to Russia to discuss the release of hostages in the Gaza Strip, according to the office of the Israeli Prime Minister.

"During this conversation, it was announced that Major General Roman Hoffman, the prime minister's military secretary, returned this morning from a working trip to Moscow, the purpose of which was to promote the hostage deal," the office said in a statement, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

On August 27, the Israeli army announced that a hostage kidnapped by Palestinian Hamas on 7 October 2023 had been released in a special operation in the Gaza Strip.

On the same day, Al Hadath TV reported that another hostage held by Hamas had managed to escape. According to the TV channel's sources, the hostage successfully left the Gaza Strip and reached an Israeli army post.

Earlier, Netanyahu explained why Hamas does not want a deal.