An airport in Russia has been forced to close after ‘anti-Israel protesters’ stormed the runway.

Video footage on social media appears to show people running through Makhachkala airport in the southern region of Dagestan – many waving Palestinian flags.

Sky News has not been able to verify the clips.

“Unauthorised citizens” broke on to the runway when a Red Wings flight from Tel Aviv was due to land on Sunday, according to Russian media.

All flights from the airport, which is in a predominantly Muslim part of Russia, were diverted to others nearby, Russian aviation authority Rosaviatsia said. There were no injuries reported.

The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented, saying 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.”

The Israeli ambassador to Russia added that they would work with Russian authorities to “ensure the safety of Israelis and Jews”.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is Jewish, posted about the incident at the airport on X, formerly known as Twitter.

He wrote: “This is not an isolated incident in Makhachkala, but rather part of Russia’s widespread culture of hatred toward other nations, which is propagated by state television, pundits, and authorities.”

Israel has increased its operations in Gaza in response to the 7 October Hamas incursion.

Speaking at a news conference on Sunday, rear admiral Daniel Hagari, spokesperson for the Israeli Defence Force (IDF), said it “continues to gradually expand our combat operations according to the plans in order to achieve the goal of the war”.

So far, more than 1,400 Israelis have been killed in the conflict, according to the Israeli military. The Gaza health ministry says over 7,700 Palestinians have been killed.

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