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Ambassador: Evacuation of Ukrainians from Gaza begins

2 min read
Ambassador: Evacuation of Ukrainians from Gaza begins
Palestinians with dual citizenship while seeking permission to leave Gaza at the Rafah border crossing into Egypt in Rafah, Gaza, on Nov. 1, 2023. (Ahmad Salem/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The evacuation of Ukrainian citizens from the besieged Gaza Strip began on Nov. 7, Ukraine's Ambassador to Egypt Mykola Nahornyi told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

"Yes, the evacuation has begun, it will last for several days. The situation is very unstable, there are many risks that can affect the process," Nahornyi said.

"Everything possible is being done to carry out a safe, organized, coordinated evacuation of Ukrainian citizens from Gaza."

Ukrainian Ambassador to Israel Yevhen Korniichuk said earlier on Nov. 7 that the first group of 101 Ukrainian citizens would be evacuated on this day.

Oleh Nikolenko, the spokesman for Ukraine's Foreign Ministry, said on Nov. 1 that 358 Ukrainian citizens had requested to be evacuated from the embattled Gaza Strip.

Egypt finally opened the Rafah border crossing on Nov. 1, allowing foreigners and wounded Palestinians to evacuate.

The fighting in Israel and the Gaza Strip broke out following Hamas' attack on Israeli settlements on Oct. 7.

Tel Aviv responded with retaliatory airstrikes against Gaza, a total blockade of the enclave, and limited ground operations. Thousands of people, mostly civilians, have been killed on both sides.

As of Oct. 23, more than 500 Ukrainians have been evacuated from Israel. Some 19 Ukrainian citizens have been confirmed as killed in Israel, and four others in Gaza, according to authorities.

Ukrainians trapped in besieged Gaza: ‘We are constantly bombed’
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Martin Fornusek

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Martin Fornusek is a reporter for the Kyiv Independent, specializing in international and regional politics, history, and disinformation. Based in Lviv, Martin often reports on international politics, with a focus on analyzing developments related to Ukraine and Russia. His career in journalism began in 2021 after graduating from Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, earning a Master's degree in Conflict and Democracy Studies. Martin has been invited to speak on Times Radio, France 24, Czech Television, and Radio Free Europe. He speaks English, Czech, and Ukrainian.

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