Over 200 displaced Palestinians from Gaza have received new apartments in a recently constructed neighborhood in Grozny, the capital of Russia’s predominantly Muslim Chechen Republic.
This initiative was announced by Ramzan Kadyrov, the regional leader of Chechnya.
The construction of the five apartment buildings was commissioned by a foundation managed by Kadyrov’s mother, Aymani, to offer permanent housing for refugees welcomed to the region last November.
Kadyrov expressed his congratulations to the Palestinian refugees on their new accommodations and wished them a peaceful and prosperous future.
Initially, the refugees were housed at the Gorny Klyuch children’s resort southeast of Grozny.
They will now relocate to a newly built ‘cottage community’ in the Visaitovsky District of Grozny, where 209 people will reside in 40 apartments.
The construction of the housing complex took approximately six months. During this period, 55 of the Palestinian refugees secured employment, and their children and teenagers were enrolled in local schools and universities, learning Russian.
Kadyrov emphasized plans to establish a Palestinian community in Chechnya to help refugees maintain their cultural identity.
The opening ceremony of the new buildings coincided with the 20th anniversary of the Akhmat Kadyrov Foundation, named after Ramzan Kadyrov’s father, who was instrumental in ending the separatist insurgency in Chechnya and reintegrating the region into Russia.
Kadyrov highlighted the shared hardships between Chechens and Palestinians, referencing the severe trials, hunger, and losses endured by the Chechen people during their own conflicts.
He has consistently voiced support for Palestinians amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Since October, over a million Palestinians have been displaced from Gaza following violent raids by Hamas, which resulted in about 1,200 Israeli deaths and the capture of 250 individuals.
Israel’s subsequent declaration of war on Hamas has led to nearly 38,000 Palestinian deaths from bombing and ground invasions, as reported by Hamas-run health authorities.