A suspicious package found among the seats in the arrival hall at Domodedovo Airport drew attention as Russians evacuated from Gaza began the journey home. The incident was reported by TASS, but no evacuation alert followed the discovery. When inspected, the bag was found to contain garbage, not a hidden threat.
Prior to this event, a group of 117 Russians had been evacuated from Gaza and brought to Moscow, marking another step in the ongoing evacuation process.
Meanwhile, the broader regional situation deteriorated after Hamas militants crossed into Israel from the Gaza Strip on October 7, signaling the start of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel was at war with Hamas.
Israel’s stated aims for Operation Iron Sword included repelling the attack, securing the release of more than 200 hostages including foreigners, and degrading Hamas. To support this, Israel conducted significant rocket strikes on Gaza from the outset. The Israeli National Security Council also decided to halt the flow of water, food, goods, electricity, and fuel into Gaza. Humanitarian aid deliveries began through the Rafah crossing only after October 20, with officials acknowledging that the aid volume remained insufficient.
On October 27, Israel announced an expansion of its ground operation in Gaza. The exact start date of the ground campaign was unclear, but in the days leading up to it, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled their homes toward shelters, primarily in the southern parts of the region. By November 5, as Israeli forces moved deeper into Gaza, central areas remained contested while supply lines were disrupted, complicating navigation and daily life for residents.
Russians who had previously fled the Gaza Strip described life amid the ongoing conflict, reflecting the broader human impact of the war on civilians caught between advancing armed actions and disrupted daily routines.