MOSCOW, November 1. /TASS/. Moscow is collaborating with Israel, Egypt and Palestine to evacuate Russian nationals from the Gaza Strip through the Rafah border crossing, Russian Presidential Special Envoy for the Middle East and Africa Mikhail Bogdanov said.
"Since the very beginning of this crisis we have been working with all the parties involved, including the Israelis, the Palestinians and the Egyptians, to evacuate our compatriots through the Rafah checkpoint," said Bogdanov, who is also a deputy foreign minister.
The high-ranking diplomat added that it was still unknown how real the possibility of Russians exiting the Gaza Strip via the Rafah crossing was.
"If there is some progress, I will be very happy about that," Bogdanov added.
Earlier, Aliya Zaripova, spokeswoman for the Russian Mission to the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), told TASS that the Russian diplomats in Ramallah were looking into the media reports saying that the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip would be opened to evacuate foreigners. Zaripova said that over 900 names were on Russia’s list to be evacuated from the Gaza Strip, including more than 500 Russian nationals.
Tensions flared up in the Middle East after Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip attacked Israeli territory on October 7, when many Israelis living in the settlements near the border were killed and more than 200 people, including children, women and the elderly, were taken hostage. Hamas views its attack as a response to Israeli authorities’ steps against the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Israel declared a total blockade of the Gaza Strip and launched bombardments of the enclave and some areas in Lebanon and Syria. Clashes are also reported in the West Bank. On October 27, Israel Defense Forces Spokesman Daniel Hagari said the IDF was expanding its ground operation in Gaza.