According to the article, some 50,000 Gazans are actually Russian citizens (perhaps from Russian women who married Palestinian Arabs, the number seems greatly exaggerated.) They are looking at how Russia annexed Crimea with the apparent approval of its citizens. Putin used the excuse that Russians in the Ukraine requested protection from Russia, and Putin was happy to help.
Similarly, these Gazans say, they want Russia to protect them from Israel! So Gazans who claim to represent the heretofore unknown Gaza Russian community are asking Ismail Haniyeh for a referendum to become a satellite Russian colony.
The activists said "Moscow announced its intention to defend its citizens everywhere, and here we are exposed to the worst forms of torture and murder by Israel....[If the] Gaza Strip joins Russia it will provide us with protection and deter the Israelis."
I think that if there was a choice between Gaza run by Islamist terrorists or Russia, Israel would jump at the opportunity to let Russia have it.
They are rational actors, Avigdor Lieberman already has good relationships with many Russian diplomats, Israel and Russia could work together on offshore gas drilling, Russia wouldn't tolerate Islamists in their borders, smuggling of weapons would disappear and therefore the blockade could be lifted, Russians could build decent hospitals and staff them with competent doctors, and there are already a million Israelis who speak Russian for trade purposes across the Gaza border.
Of course, people who want to live in an independent state would never consider requesting such a thing. But whoever said Palestinian Arab want a state of their own? Their actions never supported such an idea since they first appeared on the scene last century.
(h/t Ibn Boutros)