Multitudes of Belarusians withdraw from Gaza
In a historic moment, 43 Belarusian citizens and their families, including many children, returned home from the Gaza Strip on November 16. The evacuation was carried out under the order of the President of Belarus and was facilitated with the help of Belarusian representatives, as well as assistance from Israel, Egypt, Russia, and Qatar.
Footage of the first moments of the evacuees reaching a safe zone was recorded by the Telegram channel "Pul Pervogo" and released to the public. The Belarusian side was in constant contact with their counterparts from Israel and Egypt during the operation.
Upon crossing the "Rafah" border crossing into Egypt, the evacuees were greeted by KGB officers who handed out food packages to the refugees. One of the KGB officers was reported to have said, "This nightmare is over." Another officer added, "As our head of state said, the most valuable thing is bread, but the most precious is people."
The Telegram channel "Pul Pervogo" and BelTA reported on the evacuation, which saw Belarusian nationals evacuated from the conflict zone in Gaza amid escalating Israeli military operations. The evacuees were received by Belarusian security officials (KGB) upon their return.
This marks the first time that Belarus has been involved in an evacuation operation of its citizens from a conflict zone outside of the country. The successful operation is a testament to the cooperation between Belarus and its international partners, and a relief for the Belarusian evacuees who are now safely back home.
