Dozens of Israelis were detained on arrival in Moscow over alleged involvement in the war with Iran.

At least 40 people were held for five hours without food, water or access to toilets, triggering a major diplomatic incident at Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport.

Some were told Iran is an ally of Russia and that “its enemy is our enemy.” Russian FSB border guards demanded the Israelis unlock their mobile phones under new draconian laws passed by the Putin regime. Some of the Israelis on a flight from Tel Aviv also had Russian citizenship.

They were told their visit to Moscow was “not welcome” and that they had “come for nothing.” Finally they were released after being made to “sign papers containing warnings over the risk of breaking the law.” The detainees were only released after the intervention of the Israeli foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar.

In a statement released on Monday, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said: “Immediately upon learning of the incident, at the instruction of Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, the Foreign Ministry acted both with the foreign ministry in Moscow and with the Russian embassy in Israel.”

“The Russian side was made aware that this conduct is completely unacceptable, and Israel views the incident with great seriousness,” the ministry added.

The Times of Israel said those detained, among whom were both dual citizens and Israelis without Russian passports, were reportedly told to unlock their phones. When the Israelis refused, they were told to turn them off instead, the report said.

The Israeli citizens were released only after signing documents stressing the “inadmissibility of violating the law” and warning against such violations, according to the report.

Israel and the US launched their campaign against Iran on February 28. Iran and the US reached a fragile, 10-day ceasefire which will expire on Wednesday unless another agreement is reached through talks mediated by Pakistan.