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| Africa Horn |
| Israel rescues some 200 citizens and Jews from Ethiopia conflict region |
| 2023-08-11 |
| [IsraelTimes] Flights bring group to Addis Ababa, from where new im Israel extracted some 200 citizens and local Jews from conflict zones in Æthiopia Thursday, the Foreign Ministry and Prime Minister’s Office announced, amid fighting in the African country’s northern Amhara region. According to a joint statement, Israel rescued 174 Israelis and Æthiopians eligible to immigrate from the city of Gondar in Amhara, home to thousands of Æthiopians waiting for permission to move to Israel. Another 30 Israelis were rescued from Amhara’s capital city of Bahir Dar. Officials did not say how many of those extracted were citizens and how many were not. Four flights brought the evacuees to Addis Ababa, from where those immigrating to Israel will travel on to the Jewish state. Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said the Israelis will stay in the Æthiopian capital until deciding to return home or remain in the country. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that "Israel looks after its citizens wherever they are," while thanking those involved for a "quick, silent and most importantly, successful" operation. He pledged that Israel will "warmly" welcome the new im Cohen also hailed the rescue. "The State of Israel will not stand by and will not leave a single Israeli behind," he said. "This is the result of successful cooperation and close coordination with the Prime Minister’s Office, the NSA and the Jewish Agency," he added. "I am proud of the people of the Foreign Ministry and the Israeli Embassy in Æthiopia for their swift and high-quality action." Earlier this week, after a meeting with Cohen and other officials, Netanyahu instructed National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi to prepare the rescue operation. During the operation, the Foreign Ministry’s situation room was expanded to include representatives from the Jewish Agency and IDF soldiers of Æthiopian descent who speak Amharic. The operation came several days after a number of Israelis were reportedly rescued from the area. Last week, the Foreign Ministry urged Israelis in Amhara to remain at secure locations and try to maintain contact with the embassy in Addis Ababa, while calling on others to reconsider travel plans to the country. It also came a day after the Struggle to Save Æthiopian Jewry announced it would hold a protest Sunday outside the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem to call for the government to bring in greater numbers of Æthiopian Jews who are eligible to immigrate to Israel. |
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