Ukraine has evacuated the first group of 43 Ukrainian nationals from the besieged Gaza Strip amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Nov. 8.
The evacuees are now in Egypt, "where Ukrainian diplomats are providing them with the necessary assistance," Zelensky said on X, formerly Twitter.
Ukraine also reportedly helped rescue 36 citizens of Moldova after Egypt finally opened the Rafah border crossing on Nov. 1, allowing foreigners and wounded Palestinians to evacuate.
Ukraine's evacuation efforts are ongoing as a total of 358 Ukrainian citizens had requested to be evacuated from the embattled Gaza Strip, Foreign Ministry's spokesman Oleh Nikolenko said on Nov. 1.
Anastasiia Lapatina
"Our embassies in Israel and Egypt, as well as other relevant agencies, are working hard to get more of our citizens out of Gaza," according to Zelensky.
The fighting broke out after the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israeli settlements on Oct. 7.
Tel Aviv has responded with retaliatory airstrikes against Gaza, a total blockade of the enclave, and a ground offensive. 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 Ukrainian authorities.
Anastasiia Lapatina
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