The statement did not make clear whether Russia sought the release of all hostages seized by Hamas or just the release of any Russian nationals among them.
Israel's artists are being shunned by the world's cultural community since the war erupted, some are scrapping their own plans for forays abroad, and it's getting tougher to draw foreign artists and performers here. Is Israel becoming Russia 2.0?
While motives remain unclear, experts have noted that fomenting already brewing divisions and chaos in the West has been a tradition of Russia’s security services since the Cold War.