Chechnya building apartments for Gaza refugees

RT: Russia’s Muslim-majority Chechen Republic has begun building apartments to house Palestinians fleeing Gaza, Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of the Chechen Republic, announced on Wednesday.

Kadyrov made the announcement while attending a groundbreaking ceremony in an area designated for the construction of five blocks of 35 apartments each. The buildings will be located close to a school and nursery.

“With great pleasure, I have congratulated the settlers who will soon receive [new] homes,” Kadyrov wrote on Telegram. “I stressed that we will continue providing comprehensive assistance and support.” 

The project was funded through a regional charity. Each family will be provided with 100,000 rubles ($1,120), according to the regional government.

Around 130 million rubles ($1,45 million) have been allocated for humanitarian aid to Gaza and the settlement of refugees, Chechen officials said.

Chechnya has so far taken in more than 200 Palestinians fleeing the fighting between Israel and Hamas. Around 30 have since found employment in local healthcare.

Russia has accepted a total of 1,158 refugees from Gaza since the conflict broke out on October 7.

The hostilities began after the Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people and taking more than 200 hostages. Israel retaliated by carrying out airstrikes and launching a ground invasion into Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have also imposed a near total blockade of the densely populated Palestinian enclave and urged residents to abandon northern Gaza.

More than 23,000 Palestinians have died, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry. Nearly 1.9 million people – more than 85% of the population of Gaza – have been displaced, the UN said last month.