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Hamas Delegation in Moscow to Discuss Palestinian Reconciliation

Senior Hamas leader Mousa Abu-Marzouk and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister and Presidential Special Envoy for the Middle East and Africa Mikhail Bogdanov. Shehab Agency
Senior Hamas leader Mousa Abu-Marzouk and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister and Presidential Special Envoy for the Middle East and Africa Mikhail Bogdanov. Shehab Agency
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Hamas Delegation in Moscow to Discuss Palestinian Reconciliation

Senior Hamas leader Mousa Abu-Marzouk and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister and Presidential Special Envoy for the Middle East and Africa Mikhail Bogdanov. Shehab Agency
Senior Hamas leader Mousa Abu-Marzouk and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister and Presidential Special Envoy for the Middle East and Africa Mikhail Bogdanov. Shehab Agency

A senior Hamas delegation is set to hold talks with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister and Presidential Envoy to the Middle East Mikhail Bogdanov in Moscow on Friday.

“The visit is the first step before planning a future trip of a joint delegation including leaders from Hamas and Fatah as part of efforts to enhance contacts and coordination with Russia,” sources said.

The delegation includes member of Hamas politburo Musa Abu-Marzouq and chief of the movement’s external relations department Hussam Badran.

Abu-Marzouq told Asharq Al-Awsat Thursday that during its visit to Russia, the delegation will brief Russia on the agreements reached among the different factions to push the reconciliation process forward and start reforms, including preparations to hold Palestinian elections.

According to Abu-Marzouq, the delegation will also tackle Russian-Hamas relations. Moscow has on several occasions offered humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.

“The movement hopes to enhance coordination and cooperation with Russia at several levels,” he said.

The Hamas official added that the delegation will also discuss the inter-Palestinian political reconciliation and the continued Israeli violations of the international law.

In a sign of improvement in relations between Palestinian factions, the delegation kicked off its visit to Moscow by holding a meeting with Palestinian Ambassador Abdel Hafiz Nofal.

Russian diplomatic sources said Moscow is working to protect its role in the Palestinian reconciliation process, by keeping all doors open for future meetings to push a political settlement in the Middle East forward.

Last March, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh held talks with Bogdanov and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow.

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Israeli Cluster Bombs Create ‘Renewed’ Disaster in Southern Lebanon

A Lebanese soldier works to remove a landmine (Lebanese Army website)
A Lebanese soldier works to remove a landmine (Lebanese Army website)
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Israeli Cluster Bombs Create ‘Renewed’ Disaster in Southern Lebanon

A Lebanese soldier works to remove a landmine (Lebanese Army website)
A Lebanese soldier works to remove a landmine (Lebanese Army website)

Lebanon is still clearing cluster bombs dropped by Israel during the 2006 war, and reports suggest that the threat is growing. Israel is believed to be using cluster bombs again in southern Lebanon, an area already severely damaged.

While the war continues, some sources in southern Lebanon claim that Israel has dropped cluster bombs, especially in agricultural areas. This could make it impossible for farmers to use the land in the future, as unexploded bombs could detonate at any time. The danger has already caused hundreds of deaths and injuries since 2006.
Before the latest conflict, Lebanon’s Mine Action Center requested four more years to finish clearing the bombs left over from 2006. However, it has not been able to confirm whether Israel has used cluster bombs in this new conflict. The center is waiting for the war to end to confirm the types of weapons used.
Hezbollah accused Israel of using cluster bombs in southern Lebanon in a statement last month, calling on international human rights organizations to condemn the attack.
Hezbollah’s statement, released on Oct. 15, said Israeli forces dropped cluster bombs in several areas, including near the towns of Aalman and Deir Siryan. The group said this action violated international law, especially during wartime.
Retired Gen.
Abdul Rahman Chehaitli, who was Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations in the Lebanese Army during the 2006 war, explained that Israel dropped cluster bombs just two days before the war ended.
These bombs were dropped randomly, making it impossible to create accurate maps for their removal.
Chehaitli told Asharq Al-Awsat that Lebanon received incomplete maps of the bomb locations from Israel through UNIFIL, but some areas still remain dangerous. Removing these bombs is risky and slow, and unexploded bombs still pose a major threat to civilians.
He warned that the use of cluster bombs in the current conflict could lead to another disaster once the fighting ends.
According to the Lebanese National News Agency, Israeli warplanes dropped over 5 million cluster bombs in southern Lebanon during the 2006 war. By 2020, these bombs had killed 58 people and injured around 400 others, many of whom were farmers and shepherds.
The Lebanese Army’s Mine Action Center works with UNIFIL and local and international organizations to remove these bombs. However, a lack of funding has reduced the number of organizations able to help, especially in southern Lebanon and the western Bekaa.
Hassan Faqih, head of the Tobacco and Tombac Farmers’ Union in Lebanon, described the continued threat of cluster bombs. Since 2006, many farmers have been unable to use their land because of unexploded bombs. Some have been injured or disabled after bombs went off.
Faqih told Asharq Al-Awsat that areas like the town of Hamila in the Nabatieh district are still full of unexploded ordnance, preventing farmers from working. He also confirmed that Israel has used cluster bombs again in this conflict.
Local residents can recognize the bombs by their shape and the sounds they make.
Cluster bombs are dropped from aircraft or fired as missiles and contain hundreds of smaller bombs that scatter over a large area. Though intended to target military forces, they are highly dangerous to civilians, especially children.