Airport in Russia Closed After Crowd Looks for Jews on Israel Flight

After a crowd in the Russian Caucasus republic of Dagestan overran an airport and caused violence, Israel demanded that Russia defend its citizens.

Following reports that a plane was arriving from Israel, the incident happened, killing 1,400 people—mostly civilians—and kidnapping 230 more in Gaza. Over 8,000 people have died as a result of Israel’s relentless bombing of the coastal strip, half of them were children, according to the health ministry in the region controlled by Hamas.

Israel expects the Russian authorities to protect all Israeli citizens and Jews and to take decisive action against rioters and incitement to violence against Israelis and Jews, according to a statement released by the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The information minister of Chechnya, which borders Dagestan, Akhmed Dudayev, issued a caution against “provocations” and urged composure in the face of escalating tensions in the Caucasus.

Dagestan’s government, infuriated over the “inhumane massacre of a civilian population,” the Palestinian people, called on those responsible to cease their “illegal acts.” Governor Sergei Melikov of the republic conveyed his condolences for the victims’ suffering and called for peace in Palestine.

Known as “republics” in Russia, Dagestan and Chechnya are predominantly Muslim regions that have endured years of violent conflict with central Russian authorities. Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, expressed concern about the “appalling” videos that have been shared on social media and claimed that they are a part of Russia’s pervasive anti-Western culture.

Russia’s poorest and southernmost territory, Dagestan, has actively participated in the offensive against Ukraine. According to independent reports, compared to many more ethnically Russian regions, it has sent a proportionately higher number of men to Ukraine.

In conclusion, there have been calls for calm and international condemnation of the Dagestani airport incident.