As the region faces unprecedented circumstances following Hamas' recent attack on Israel, Greece, Brazil, and the United Kingdom have launched efforts to evacuate their citizens from Israel and Palestine.
The Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Sunday that they are working to repatriate "149 Greek tourists" who found themselves stranded in Israel due to the ongoing attacks carried out by the Palestinian Hamas movement.
The ministry noted that the first group, comprising 81 individuals, is expected to arrive in Athens in the coming hours.
Greek authorities emphasized their ongoing communication with Greek citizens in the region through the Greek Embassy in Tel Aviv and the General Consulate in Jerusalem.
The names of 149 Greek visitors in Israel have been registered, and efforts to bring them back to their homeland are underway.
Furthermore, as a precautionary measure due to the evolving situation in the area, Greek carrier Aegean Airlines, along with several other European airlines, announced the cancellation of flights to and from Israel for 48 hours.
In a similar vein, the Israeli airline, El Al, increased its flights between Athens and Israel, a move that corresponds to an estimated 5,000 Israeli reserve soldiers being transported from Athens to their homeland to bolster the armed forces, according to Greek news outlet "Kathimerini."
Meanwhile, the Brazilian government intends to dispatch at least six aircraft to evacuate its citizens who wish to leave Israel and the Palestinian Territories following the recent Hamas attacks. The Brazilian Air Force announced this on Sunday.
Marcelo Damasceno, Commander of the Brazilian Air Force, stated during a press conference following a meeting between officials from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defense in Brazil that they have "six aircraft ready" with a capacity of up to 230 passengers each.
The primary objective is to evacuate "all Brazilians present in the region who wish to leave." The first flights are scheduled to depart between Monday and Tuesday.
The Brazilian government estimates that approximately 14,000 Brazilians reside in Israel and 6,000 in the Palestinian Territories.
In the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that his government is actively assessing the situation of British citizens in Israel.
This decision comes in the wake of a deadly attack by Hamas, in which one British citizen, 20-year-old Nathanial Yang, serving in the Israeli army, lost his life near the Gaza border on Saturday.
Additionally, it is believed that there are other missing British citizens in the region, further adding to the urgency of the situation.
Follow the latest news on Google News
