Unannounced arrival of Russian plane in Israel

A Russian aircraft landed in Israel on Thursday afternoon before returning to Moscow, with its purpose remaining unclear. Officials denied claims that the aircraft carried a Russian delegation to negotiate the release of two Israeli-Russian captives held by Hamas: Alexander (Sasha) Trufanov and Maxim Herkin.

On the same day, Mousa Abu Marzouk, deputy head of Hamas' politburo, visited Moscow and spoke with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov about the captives’ release. Abu Marzouk emphasized that securing the release of the two Russian citizens would be a priority in any future negotiations.

The arrival of the Russian plane has sparked speculation. Questions arise about the connection to Russian President Vladimir Putin and whether it was intended to convey messages from Israel to Iran, or if it represented an effort by Putin to mediate between the two nations.

The Tu-214SR aircraft, part of a special flight unit under Putin's administration, had previously landed at Ben Gurion Airport on October 17. Reports indicated that during the Russian plane's presence, Hezbollah temporarily halted its rocket fire into Israeli territory for several hours.