After the Israel flight, demonstrators storm the airport in Dagestan, revealing the unrest.
All flights have been suspended after demonstrators descended upon the airport in the Russian region of Dagestan in response to the arrival and departure of an Israeli flight. In the midst of the ongoing conflict in Gaza, hundreds of people gathered in Dagestan to protest the arrival of an Israeli flight.
The crowd at Makhachkala Airport broke through security barriers on Sunday, but security personnel were able to drive them off the runway.
In a statement, the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs claimed to have identified over 150 participants in the unrest, 60 of whom had been placed under arrest. Two of the nine police officers hurt in the altercations are presently receiving medical attention in a hospital.
Red Wings, a Russian carrier, is suspected of operating the contentious flight. On the runway at Makhachkala Airport, terrified passengers can be seen running back into the aircraft in social media footage. Protesters can be heard screaming anti-Jewish slogans as they smash glass doors and rush into the airport in the video. Arriving passengers were subjected to extra security checks, and Palestinian flags were observed flying on the tarmac.
Numerous local Telegram channels posted pictures and videos of dozens of people blocking traffic outside the airport, and in another incident, someone tried to overturn a truck. There was a demonstrator with a sign that said, “No place for child killers in Dagestan.”
Israel is still conducting heavy airstrikes and massive ground campaigns in Gaza at the time of this incident. As Hamas, the organization in charge of the besieged territory, launched a stunning attack deep inside Israel, over 8,000 Palestinians, including 3,324 children, have died since the conflict began on October 7, according to Palestinian authorities in Gaza. According to Israeli authorities, Hamas attacks have resulted in the deaths of at least 1,400 Israelis and foreigners.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office issued a statement late on Sunday night urging Russian law enforcement to protect Israeli citizens and Jews wherever they may be and to take decisive action against rioters and inciters. The order was issued “against terrorists” and specifically targeted Jews and Israelis.
In the Karabudakhkent Republic of Russia’s North Caucasus, which is close to Dagestan, a Jewish center was the scene of a fire earlier on Sunday, according to RIA Novosti.
According to Israeli security officials quoted by a number of Israeli media outlets, Israeli travelers were separated at Makhachkala Airport following the Dagestan incident and their safety was guaranteed. The idea was to take them straight to Moscow.
A Request for Amity
Rosaviatsiya, the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency, declared late on Sunday night that although the airport was free of unauthorized individuals, it would be closed to new aircraft until November 6.
The regional government of Dagestan, which has a majority of Muslims, expressed support for Gaza but also asked its people to keep the peace and abstain from such demonstrations. Through Telegram, the government issued a warning to the protesters not to interfere with airport employees or take part in illegal activities.
