MOSCOW, October 8. /TASS/. The Russian Representative Office to the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) in Ramallah is compiling lists of Russian citizens in case of evacuation from the Gaza Strip, Aliya Zaripova, a spokeswoman for the Russian diplomatic mission in Palestine, told TASS on Sunday.
"Starting this morning, the representative office in Ramallah began to receive requests from Russian citizens with questions about organizing evacuation from the Gaza Strip. We register these requests, taking them into account, and compiling lists," she said. According to Zaripova, there are "no concrete decisions on evacuation at the moment," since "combat operations are underway" and this is "not yet possible."
She explained that the Russian side "will act similarly to the evacuation carried out in May - June 2021 after another escalation in the region."
Zaripova noted that the situation near the representative office, as well as in general on the West Bank of the Jordan River, remains consistently tense.
"Sporadic clashes with Israeli security forces continue in all Palestinian territories," she said adding that "there is no immediate threat to the functioning of the Russian foreign establishment."
Earlier on Sunday, Zaripova told TASS that evacuation of Russian citizens from the territory of Palestine is possible in the nearest future, but this issue was not on the agenda as of yet.
On the morning of October 7, rocket attacks were launched at the Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip. Simultaneously, groups of militants infiltrated the territory of Israel. The authorities of Israel have approved a previously announced decision to put the country in a ‘state of war,’ which means the start of major military operations. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced it was launching Operation 'Iron Swords' in retaliation for the attack, coming from the Palestinian exclave.
Ismail Haniyeh, the current head of HAMAS's Political Bureau, said the Palestinian attack was launched in retaliation for Israel’s aggressive actions regarding the Al Aqsa mosque in central Jerusalem. Under these circumstances, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has approved a call-up of reservists.
According to latest reports, the rocket attacks left more than 600 Israelis dead and over 2,000 injured. Israel’s attacks on the exclave left 370 Palestinians dead and 2,200 wounded.