Poland to Evacuate Its Citizens from Israel by Military Aircraft, Moldova Relies on Commercial Flights

The Polish army is planning to establish a specialized "evacuation center" for its citizens who were in Israel as tourists during the recent Hamas attacks on the country. This announcement was made by Poland's Minister of Defense, Mariusz Blaszczak, via his Twitter account.

Mariusz Blaszczak specifically mentioned that the Polish army is preparing a centralized operation to evacuate Polish tourists from Israel, utilizing military aircraft for this purpose. "The Polish army will set up an evacuation hub for Polish tourists in Israel. Our compatriots will be transported aboard military aircraft to Crete, from where they will safely return to their homeland," said Poland's Minister of Defense.

Meanwhile, Moldova is not currently planning an evacuation operation for its citizens, as all willing individuals have the option to depart from Israel using commercial passenger flights. This information was provided by Moldova's Ambassador to Israel, Alexander Roitman.

He noted that Chisinau is not organizing a special evacuation operation for its citizens because only a few airlines have suspended flights, and all willing individuals can independently leave Israel. The Moldovan embassy has also activated hotlines to provide consultations and assistance.

The Ambassador mentioned that Moldovan citizens, if they wish, can participate in priority departures from Israel on Tarom airline flights, in accordance with an agreement between Moldova and Romania.

Previously, several airlines canceled their flights to Tel Aviv due to the unprecedented terrorist attacks by Hamas on Israel. Airlines such as Lufthansa, Swiss, Wizz Air, and Ryanair canceled their flights. According to the AeroTelegraph publication, several flights changed their routes and returned after the start of the terrorist attacks on Israel. For example, a Wizz Air flight from Rome returned to the Italian capital instead of Tel Aviv. Another airline's flight from Warsaw was redirected to Larnaca, Cyprus, instead of Tel Aviv.

Recall that on Saturday morning local time, the terrorist organization Hamas launched a massive attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip, marking the most serious escalation in the Arab-Israeli conflict in the past 50 years. According to official figures, over 500 people have died as a result of Hamas' actions. Hundreds of people, including both military personnel and civilians, including children, have been taken captive by terrorists.