Shocking footage from Makhachkala International Airport in the southern Russian Republic of Dagestan shows a group of rioters storming the airport terminal and tarmac.

According to multiple reports, hundreds of protestors rushed the airport due to rumors of an incoming flight from Tel Aviv, Israel.

“Authorities closed the airport in Makhachkala, the capital of the predominantly Muslim region, and police converged on the facility,” the Associated Press reports.

Pro-Palestine protestors reportedly searched for Israeli Jews and attempted to storm the airliner belonging to Russian carrier Red Wings.

“A Russian Pilot telling Passengers on a Plane at Makhachkala International Airport in Dagestan to not attempt to Open any of the Doors due to the Rioters on the Tarmac which are trying to enter the Aircraft,” Open Source Intelligence Monitor wrote.

AP reports:

Video on social media showed some in the crowd on the landing field waving Palestinian flags, protesters attempting to overturn a police car and others checking the passports of passengers who had arrived in Makhachkala.

In a statement released Sunday night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Israel “expects the Russian law enforcement authorities to protect the safety of all Israeli citizens and Jews wherever they may be and to act resolutely against the rioters and against the wild incitement directed against Jews and Israelis.” Netanyahu’s office added that the Israeli ambassador to Russia was working with Russia to keep Israelis and Jews safe.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs for Russia’s North Caucasian Federal District, where Dagestan is located, stated that CCTV footage would be used to establish the identities of those who stormed the airport, and that those involved would be brought to justice.

While voicing support for Gaza, the regional Dagestani government appealed to citizens to remain calm and not take part in such protests.

“We urge residents of the republic to treat the current situation in the world with understanding. Federal authorities and international organizations are making every effort to bring about a ceasefire against Gaza civilians … we urge residents of the republic not to succumb to the provocations of destructive groups and not to create panic in society,” the Dagestani government wrote on Telegram.

The Moscow Times added:

Some of the signs held by demonstrators read “Child killers have no place in Dagestan” and “We are against Jewish refugees.”

The independent Mediazona news website reported that the demonstration was prompted by calls spread on the Telegram messaging app earlier on Sunday to block a plane purportedly carrying refugees from Israel scheduled to arrive directly from Tel Aviv.

According to local media in Dagestan, some of the demonstrators were stopping cars outside Makhachkala’s airport to check the personal identification documents of drivers and passengers as they searched for Israeli citizens among the motorists.

The flight from Tel Aviv landed at 7:17 p.m. local time, according to the airport’s website, after which the protesters stormed into the airport, breaking past security and running onto the tarmac.

One group of people who ran onto the airport’s tarmac surrounded a plane and jumped onto its wings, the pro-Kremlin newspaper Izvestia reported.

Videos shared online showed what appeared to be riot police arriving at the airport and protesters lying on the tarmac as police walked around them, but their authenticity could not be independently verified.

Russia’s civil aviation agency said shortly after 11 p.m. that all protesters had been removed from the airport, without specifying whether any of them were detained.

“Remarkable to see security forces in Russia standing by for so long. By now, according to Baza, police in Makhachkala have chased them off the runway and outside the airport, where they are now protesting. The airport is closed,” Financial Times Moscow Bureau Chief Max Seddon wrote.

Zero Hedge noted:

“Dagestan’s population is overwhelmingly Muslim,” TOI noted. “According to Channel 12, the crowd was apparently largely made up of Palestinian expats.”

The flight from Tel Aviv either diverted or took off after briefly landing. There are reports that the mob tried to break into a plane on the tarmac. Some reports say that the aircraft which was surrounded was full of Russian citizens.

“All flights to and from the airport would be suspended until 3:00 a.m. on Nov. 6 due to the security breach,” The Moscow Times added.

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