Palestinian president to visit Russia on Monday

Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas will visit Moscow next week to discuss the Gaza war with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a Palestinian envoy said.

Russia’s state-run TASS news agency cited the Palestinian ambassador in Moscow as saying Abbas will arrive on Monday and meet Putin on Tuesday.

Abbas heads the Fatah Palestinian movement, a rival to Hamas.

Ambassador Abdel Hafiz Nofal said the two leaders would discuss events in Gaza since the October 7 attacks on Israel. “They will talk about Russia’s role, what can be done.”

He added: “We have a very difficult situation, and Russia is a country that is close to us. We need to consult each other.”

Moscow for years tried to balance relations with all major players in the Middle East — including Israel and the Palestinians.

But since the Israel-Hamas war and Russia’s own offensive on Ukraine, Putin has moved closer to Israel’s foes, Hamas and Iran.

The Kremlin has repeatedly criticised Israel’s response to the October 7 attacks and called for restraint.