The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation reported that officials from Russia are reviewing media claims about a Russian-speaking family reported killed as a result of an Israeli airstrike. According to a statement from the Foreign Ministry, diplomats are currently examining media reports concerning the death of a Russian-speaking family in the village of Der El-Balyah in the central Gaza region, caused by bombing. The ministry indicated that a woman and children were among those who died. It was noted that the family members were identified as citizens of one of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries.
Additionally, Margarita Simonyan, former editor-in-chief of the Rossiya Segodnya media group and the RT television channel, reported that twelve members of the family of RT cameraman Khaled Elderra were killed in the Gaza Strip as a result of the Israeli bombing. The Foreign Ministry did not confirm these details at the time of the initial statement, but the report underscores claims circulating in media circles regarding casualties among Russian-speaking individuals in the area. [Source: Russian Foreign Ministry communications]
On 7 October, reports indicated that Hamas forces launched several thousand rockets toward Israel and announced the start of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. In the ensuing confrontation, thousands of militants infiltrated Israeli territory, seizing military equipment and taking more than a hundred hostages. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the country was at war. These events have prompted a wide range of international reactions and statements from various governments and media outlets. [Attribution: contemporary news accounts and official statements]
There were earlier statements attributed to Hamas indicating plans to release certain hostages, though the situation on the ground remained fluid and subject to rapid change. International observers continue to monitor the developments, emphasizing the humanitarian dimensions of the conflict and the need for verification of casualty reports as information circulates from multiple sources. [Context and verification notes from multiple news agencies]