MOSCOW, December 18. /TASS/. A Russian Emergencies Ministry special task force is completing its mission to Egypt for evacuating Russian nationals seeking to leave the embattled Gaza Strip, Russian Emergencies Minister Alexander Kurenkov said.

"The last group of citizens, consisting of another 73 people, including 45 children, are waiting to be evacuated from Cairo. Thus, Russian rescuers have evacuated 1,124 people from the zone of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. And now we can already say that all requests for evacuation assistance received through the Foreign Ministry have been fulfilled. In this regard, the Russian president has made a decision to withdraw the task force of the Russian Emergencies Ministry from the territory of Egypt," the minister said during an operational videoconference.

Kurenkov listened to reports by task force staff members, who have been working on coordinating procedures for evacuations from Gaza into Egypt since November 3. In cooperation with representatives of the Foreign Ministry, the employees met Russian nationals and their family members at the Rafah checkpoint, assisted them in completing required customs procedures, and accompanied them to Cairo. They also prepared them for transportation to Moscow on Russian Emergencies Ministry planes. The ministry’s doctors and psychologists worked with evacuees along the entire route. At the same time, an interdepartmental operational headquarters was set up at Domodedovo Airport.

Kurenkov emphasized the importance of humanitarian aid to the population of the Gaza Strip. In total, the Russian Emergencies Ministry has dispatched 15 special flights and delivered 350 tons of humanitarian cargo. "I would like to thank all of the specialists involved in this work for their dedication, readiness to help and efficiency in difficult conditions. Together with the representatives of the Foreign Ministry, I ask you to clarify the further order of work and prepare the task force for departure. Thank you, we are waiting for you at home," the Russian Emergencies minister emphasized.