Some Russians have chosen not to leave the Gaza Strip, and the reasons for their decision remain unclear, according to Ismail Bashir, a Palestinian doctor who was evacuated from the enclave along with Russian citizens, as reported to TASS.
"There are individuals with Russian citizenship who have not returned, and the reasons for their stay remain unknown," he said.
The doctor highlighted that the situation in Gaza remains challenging, with ongoing bombardments and a lack of safe shelters. "My house have no windows or doors, but that is considered minor compared to others who have lost their homes entirely," Bashir added.
Near the border with Egypt, he mentioned that there are many people with nowhere to go, who chose to stay there, hoping to escape the shelling. "They believed it was a safe place, but I don't know what will happen to them next," he added, pointing out that his relatives also stayed in the Gaza Strip.
Another Russian evacuee from Palestine shared that he, too, had to leave his relatives behind in Gaza. However, he has not lost hope of reuniting with them. "The embassy continues to assist and evacuate. A big thank you to the EMERCOM team and to Russia," he expressed his gratitude.
On Monday evening, the Russian Emergencies Ministry concluded its evacuation operation from the Gaza Strip, bringing back the last group of 73 Russian citizens and their family members to Moscow. The operation involved the evacuation of a total of 1,124 people from the enclave by the Russian Emergencies Ministry and Foreign Ministry. Additionally, a task force from the Russian Emergencies Ministry returned to Moscow from Egypt. The successful evacuation marks the completion of the mission to bring Russians safely out of the Gaza Strip.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Marius Arnesen/Creative Commons 3.0
Based on materials from TASS