Countries have begun evacuating their nationals from Israel amid the military conflict. On October 13, the first batch of evacuees from Israel returned to Kathmandu. The Government of Nepal announced that it is further making arrangements to bring the citizens back from Israel.
Nepal Foreign Minister Narayan Prakash Saud said, “Till now, a total of 557 Nepali citizens have registered themselves, out of which 503 wanted to return back to Nepal and a total of 254 students have been evacuated under the first phase of evacuation.”
Canada
Evacuees on board the first Canadian military plane departed from Tel Aviv for Athens on Thursday (October 12) with 128 people on board, while a second plane carrying 153 people would depart later.
More than 1,600 Canadian citizens and permanent residents wanted help to leave the region. Ottawa is advising against non-essential travel to Lebanon, given tensions on the border with Israel.
Japan
Japan is set to use a charter flight to transport Japanese citizens out of Israel, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said on Friday (October 13). One charter flight was arranged to depart Tel Aviv for Dubai on Saturday (October 14).
The Japanese government would keep monitoring the situation and take appropriate measures to ensure the safety of Japanese nationals to return home, he added. As of October 9, there are approximately 1,300 Japanese citizens currently in Israel and Palestinian Territories, according to Japan’s foreign ministry office.
Thailand
To facilitate the repatriation of Thai citizens back to Thailand, Thai PM Srettha Thavisin met with Israeli Ambassador Orna Sagiv on Friday, October 13. Almost 6,000 Thai citizens have registered to return home but added evacuating them might take time as Thai nationals are scattered in various places in the region, Srettha said.
Forty-one evacuees — all labourers who had been working in Israel returned to Thailand on Thursday (October 12) via a commercial flight, including 15 nationals prioritised by the Thai government due to their injuries and living in high-risk zones.
The death toll of Thai citizens in Israel rose to 21 on Thursday with 16 taken hostage and 14 wounded, according to the Thai government. Thailand is one of the largest sources of migrant workers in Israel, with around 30,000 working in the agriculture sector.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military told residents of Gaza City on Friday to evacuate southwards, saying it would “continue to operate significantly” in the city, which it called “an area where military operations take place”.
The military also warned Gazans not to approach an area near a fence with Israel, saying residents would be able to return only after permission was announced.
(Input from Reuters)