All news

Evacuation of Russians from Gaza not resolved yet — Palestinian ambassador to Russia

Abdel Hafiz Nofal said that Palestine is working on this issue together with Moscow

MOSCOW, October 28. /TASS/. The evacuation of Russians from the Gaza Strip has not been settled yet, but Palestine is working on this issue alongside Moscow, Palestinian Ambassador to Russia Abdel Hafiz Nofal told TASS.

"Not yet. We, along with the Russian Foreign Ministry, your embassy to Egypt and Palestine, we are trying to do our best. We are in touch every day. We are working on the evacuation [issue]," he said.

"As soon as the Rafah crossing is opened, all the Russians in Gaza will go to Egypt. We will be doing this alongside the Russian embassy to Egypt," he added.

Earlier, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that about 1,000 citizens of Russia and CIS countries want to evacuate from the Gaza Strip.

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 on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount. 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.