40 Palestinian refugees arrive in Russia's Karachay-Cherkess region

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) – The first group of Palestinian refugees arrived in Russia's Caucasian region of Karachay-Cherkess, an official said on Thursday.

Those 40 Palestinian refugees, including 26 children, were taken to the resort town of Teberda on Wednesday night, and housed in a specially-prepared center, regional head Rashid Temrezov said in a statement on Telegram.

The official added that the center offers three hot meals a day, a prayer room for adults, and a playroom for children.

According to Temrezov, doctors, a pharmacy, psychologists and translators are working round-the-clock to help refugees.

"We tried to make our guests feel comfortable, warm, and welcomed so that they could overcome the stress and fear experienced during the hostilities," he said.

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, killing nearly 20,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injuring 52,586 others, according to health authorities in the enclave.

The Israeli onslaught has left Gaza in ruins with half of the coastal territory's housing stock damaged or destroyed, and nearly 2 million people displaced within the densely-populated enclave amid shortages of food and clean water.

Nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack, while nearly 130 hostages remain in captivity.