Blinken on regional push for ceasefire as Hamas delegation visits Russia

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Qatar on Thursday for ceasefire talks as part of a wider regional tour to boost efforts for a truce deal following Israel's killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.

Blinken met with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and "discussed renewed efforts to secure the release of the hostages and end the war in Gaza" the State Department said.

He also met with Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani.

The meetings follow visits to Saudi Arabia and Israel as part of the top US diplomat’s eleventh trip to the region to broker a ceasefire deal since the war broke out in October 2023.

Blinken met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Wednesday and discussed the wars in Gaza and Lebanon and "efforts exerted to halt the military operations".

The US is attempting to push for a deal to release the last hostages in Gaza and crucially ensuring it includes details on rebuilding and the post-war governance of the Palestinian territory. However, the US still has to dissuade Israel from keeping troops in Gaza, one of the sticking points of previous talks.

There are renewed hopes for a deal after Hamas leader Sinwar was killed last week by Israeli troops in Gaza. Observers have said that Sinwar’s death might create leeway for a revised approach from the Palestinians.

The top US aide also met with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan in Riyadh to discuss "regional developments", the Saudi foreign ministry said in a statement.

Blinken "underscored the importance of bringing the war in Gaza to an end and releasing all hostages," according to State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller.

"The Secretary and Foreign Minister continued discussions on how to establish security, governance, and reconstruction in the post-conflict period," the statement continued.

Hamas delegation in Moscow

The diplomacy comes as world leaders meet at the BRICS Summit in Russia where calls for a ceasefire and a de-escalation of tensions in the Middle East were at the forefront of agendas.

A Hamas delegation led by senior member Mousa Abu Marzuk arrived in Moscow on Wednesday for talks on the war.

Hamas wants Russia to push Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to begin negotiations on a national unity government for post-war Gaza, a senior Hamas official told the RIA state news agency after talks in Moscow.

Mousa Abu Marzouk, a Hamas politburo member, met Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov in Moscow.

"We discussed issues related to Palestinian national unity and the creation of a government that should govern the Gaza Strip after the war," Marzouk was quoted as saying by RIA.

Marzouk said that Hamas had asked Russia to encourage Abbas, who is attending the BRICS summit in Kazan, to start negotiations about a unity government, RIA reported.

Russia has played a significant mediator role between Israel and the Palestinians, with some Hamas officials reportedly keen for Russia’s involvement in ceasefire talks as a counterbalance to the US.

Additionally, two Russian-Israeli dual nationals are among the 100 captives held in Gaza by Palestinian groups and Hamas has previously told Moscow they would be amongst the first to be released in the case of a deal.

Alexander Lobanov and Alexander Trufanov are the two dual nationals being held in Gaza, with Trufanov believed to be held by Islamic Jihad, according to reports.

Three Russian citizen hostages were released in November during the first and only deal which saw a ten-day cessation in fighting and the release of Palestinian prisoners.

In September, an Israeli senior military official visited Russia to advance talks on the release of the hostages in Gaza.

Israel estimates that there are some 100 hostages in Gaza with at least 32 believed to be dead.

(With agencies)