Russian diplomat: About 1,000 Russians and their family members are in southern Gaza

(Patria) - About 1,000 Russians and their family members have become hostages of the Israeli siege of the Gaza Strip, said Russian envoy to the UN Vasily Nebenzya at a UN Security Council meeting, TASS reported.

"More than two million residents of the Strip have been left without water, food, medical care, fuel and electricity. The only checkpoint on the border with Egypt, Rafah, was again under rocket attack and was never opened to allow civilians to exit and humanitarian goods to be delivered. About 1,000 Russian citizens and their family members have essentially become hostages of the military siege of Gaza," Nebenzya said.

Russian Ambassador to Israel Anatoly Viktorov earlier said that about 1,000 citizens of Russia and other countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States, including their family members, are stranded in the south of the Gaza Strip, waiting for the opening of the Rafah border crossing. According to the diplomat, the situation in the south of the Gaza Strip is "close to catastrophic."