Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Russia on Thursday for its readiness to provide assistance in the release of Israeli soldiers captured by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
“I would like to thank you for your readiness to assist in the matter of a primary humanitarian significance — return of the bodies of Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul as well as three captives from Gaza” Netanyahu was quoted as saying by the government press at a meeting with his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev.
The Israeli occupation authorities believe that the bodies of the two Israeli soldiers killed during the 2014 Israeli offensive on Gaza have been held captive by Hamas in the blockaded Gaza Strip.
Hamas said it will only exchange the Israeli kidnapped soldiers for hundreds of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.
Last April spokesperson for the group’s armed wing—al-Qassam Brigades—showed a picture of four Israeli soldiers and said the armed wing will not reveal any further details about their fate and location until Israel frees all ex-prisoners (released in the Shalit swap deal) re-captured by its occupation troops.
Medvedev arrived in Occupied Jerusalem on Wednesday evening on a three-day visit aiming to boost bilateral ties with Israel.
