Israel summons Russian ambassador to protest at Moscow's hosting of Hamas

The ambassador of Russia to Israel Anatoly Viktorov speaks at a news conference in Tel Aviv, Israel

FILE PHOTO: The ambassador of Russia to Israel Anatoly Viktorov speaks at a news conference at the Russian Consulate in Tel Aviv, Israel, March 3, 2022. REUTERS/Amir Cohen

Source: X02077

Israel summoned the Russian ambassador on Sunday to lodge a protest at Moscow's hosting last week of a delegation from Hamas, the Palestinian militant group whose Oct. 7 attack on Israel killed at least 1,400 people and led to the war in Gaza.

Inviting Hamas "sends a message legitimising terrorism against Israelis," Israel's foreign ministry said in a statement, quoting its senior staff as telling Ambassador Anatoly Viktorov. It described the summons as a protest rather than a reprimand.

Russia had described its hosting of Hamas as an effort to maintain contacts with all sides in the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

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By Reuters