Nearly 200 Israelis Evacuated From North Ethiopia in Rescue Op
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by i24 News and Algemeiner Staff
Dignitaries, including Jewish Agency Chairman Isaac Herzog (center-right) and Aliyah and Integration Minister Pnina Tamano-Shata (center), welcome new Ethiopian immigrants at Ben-Gurion Airport on March 11, 2021. Photo: Government Press Office/Jewish Agency.
i24 News – Over 200 Israelis and those entitled to immigration to the Jewish state were rescued from northern Ethiopia amid ongoing violence, a joint statement of the Prime Minister’s Office and the Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.
“174 Israeli citizens and those entitled to it were rescued during the day from the city of Gondar. At the same time, 30 Israeli citizens were rescued from the town of Mount Dar, in northern Ethiopia. A total of 204 Israeli citizens and those entitled to it were rescued, in 4 flights. All were flown to the capital, Addis Ababa,” the statement said.
A few days ago, Israel’s Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, in consultation with Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, instructed the head of the National Security Council Tzachi Hanegbi to lead the inter-ministerial coordination of the rescue operation. The Israeli Embassy in Ethiopia and the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem contacted most of the Israeli citizens in the area of the cities of Gondar and Mount Dar, where the most intense clashes were reported.
On Wednesday night, they were instructed to reach meeting points in the cities for their rescue. For this purpose, the situation room of the Foreign Ministry was reinforced with Amharic-speaking diplomats, agency workers and soldiers.
“At the meeting points, the Israelis boarded designated buses that were waiting for them and transported them to the Gondar airport and Mount Dar, where they boarded special flights that had been arranged in advance and arrived a short time ago in Addis Ababa,” the statement said.
“The State of Israel cares for its citizens wherever they are. In the last few days, citizens of Israel and (those eligible for) Aliyah from Ethiopia entered into distress in the battle zones. I ordered them to be taken out of there,” said Prime Minister Netanyahu.
“The people are now on their way from Gondar and Mount Dar Ladis and from there they will arrive in the State of Israel, we will receive them here with warmth and welcome,” he added.
