Governments Rush to Evacuate Citizens Amid Israel-Hamas Conflict
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Amidst the escalating conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, governments worldwide are racing to evacuate their citizens from the troubled region. What began as an attack by Hamas militants on Israel has spiraled into a series of devastating Israeli military airstrikes on Gaza, causing widespread destruction and loss of life on both sides.
Several countries have initiated operations to bring their citizens home, while others are in the process of planning evacuations. Here is an overview of the evacuation efforts:
1. Nigeria: Nigeria swiftly airlifted over 300 of its citizens who were on a Christian pilgrimage from Bethlehem to Nazareth when the conflict erupted. They fled to Jordan and were subsequently chartered back to Lagos.
2. Argentina: Argentina, with a significant Jewish population, has commenced evacuating more than 1,200 of its citizens from Israel. Air force flights to Rome are facilitating their repatriation, followed by flights to Buenos Aires.
3. Brazil: Brazil plans to mobilize at least six planes to repatriate its citizens living in Israel and the Palestinian territories. A considerable number have already left on commercial flights.
4. Switzerland: Swiss International Air Lines has evacuated 220 Swiss nationals, with additional flights scheduled to ensure the return of more citizens from the region.
5. Spain: Spain organized a flight to repatriate 200 people from Tel Aviv overnight to Wednesday.
6. South Korea: South Korea has begun evacuating its citizens, with further evacuations scheduled for later in the week. Some travelers on a Christian pilgrimage will travel by road to Jordan.
7. Canada: The Canadian government will organize special flights to bring back Canadian nationals from Tel Aviv, with assistance from the Canadian military.
8. France: France is organizing a special Air France flight from Tel Aviv on Thursday to facilitate the repatriation of French nationals.
9. Germany: Germany is collaborating with Lufthansa to arrange “several special flights” on Thursday and Friday for German citizens in need of repatriation.
10. Iceland: The Icelandic government will send a plane to repatriate around 120 of its nationals stuck in Israel.
11. Norway: Norway has organized a flight for Wednesday evening to bring its citizens home from Israel and the Palestinian territories.
12. Portugal: Portugal repatriated 152 of its nationals and 14 other Europeans in a Portuguese military aircraft.
13. Finland: Finland is also planning the repatriation of its nationals from the conflict-affected region.
The widespread efforts to evacuate citizens underscore the urgency of the situation and the global concern for the safety of those caught in the crossfire of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
