Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters in the Russian Caucus Republic of Dagestan stormed a local airport on Sunday night after rumours spread that a flight from Israel had landed.
Videos posted on social media showed a large group of protesters, with some carrying the Palestinian flags and others sporting the Palestinian scarf, the keffiyeh, gathering at the entrance to the Makhachkala airport before they managed to get inside. Chanting the takbir, they streamed towards the runway, where it seemed to break into confusion as the mob moved from plane to plane.
The incident prompted Israel to call on Russia to protect Israeli citizens.
Dagestan's Governor said that they had managed to clear the airport but that the airport will now remain closed until November 6. He added that those responsible for vandalism will be punished. The region's interior ministry said at least 60 people involved in the unrest had been arrested.
"More than 150 active participants in the unrest have been identified; 60 of them have been arrested," the ministry said in a statement early Monday.
There have been large protests against Israel across the world due to its intense bombing campaign over Palestine in response to Hamas' October 7 attack that left around 1,400 Israelis dead. The bombing campaign, which expanded into a phased and limited ground incursion over the weekend, has so far left at least 8,000 people dead in Gaza, including 3,324 children.
There has been a global outcry over the proportionality of the Israeli response and the blockade of essentials such as electricity, gas, water, food, and, in recent days, the internet and other communications.