The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) announced on Sunday that it had released a detainee of Russian nationality and handed him over to the Red Cross as part of the third batch whose handover began today as part of the prisoner and detainee exchange agreement with Israel.

Hamas said in a statement on its official website, "In response to the efforts of Russian President Vladimir Putin and in appreciation of the Russian position in support of the Palestinian cause, we released a detainee who holds Russian citizenship."

On the 29th of last month, Israel summoned its Russian ambassador to protest Moscow’s reception of a delegation from Hamas.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry said at the time that its senior employees informed Ambassador Anatoly Viktorov that the Hamas invitation sends a message that legitimizes what it called terrorism against Israelis, describing the summons as a protest, not a rebuke.

Israel and Hamas began handing over a third batch of prisoners and detainees today, Sunday, in accordance with a truce agreement that entered into force the day before yesterday, Friday, and will continue until tomorrow, Monday.

For its part, the head of the State Information Service, Diaa Rashwan, announced in a statement that the authority “received a list of detainees in the Gaza Strip, which includes 13 Israelis. It also received a list of Palestinians scheduled to be released from Israeli prisons, which includes 39 Palestinians.”