“The released hostage Maxim Kharkin is on his way home,” the post says.
Israeli diplomats did not specify where exactly the former hostage’s house was.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry showed a photo of Harkin in a vehicle that looked more like a bus.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Harkin, 37, an Israeli and Russian citizen, was abducted from a music festival near the Gaza Strip.
“Maxim returns to his family, to his five-year-old daughter,” the post says.
In October 2024, Hamas representative Musa Abu Marzuk told Russian propagandists from RIA Novosti that Harkin allegedly served in the IDF and received Russian citizenship while in captivity.
Propagandists admitted that Kharkin is “a native of Donbass.”
The media write (for example, ZN.UA and Suspilne) that Kharkin is a native of temporarily occupied Donetsk, so he was given Russian citizenship.
Context
Since October 2023, Israel has waged war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. in response to his attack on the country, killing civilians and taking hostages.
After lengthy negotiations, on January 15, 2025, the parties concluded agreement on a ceasefire, but hostilities soon resumed.
On September 29, during a meeting at the White House, US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were introduced American plan of action at the end of the war, it contains 20 points, and Israel agreed to it.
On October 3, Trump issued an ultimatum Hamas: Either the group will agree to the demands of a potential peace agreement to which Israel has already agreed by the evening of October 5, or it will experience “real hell.”
On October 12, Trump announced that the war in the Gaza Strip was over. October 13 Hamas handed over 20 hostages who survived to the Red Cross. In return, Israel released hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
