Maria Gabriel: Bulgarian citizens evacuated from Gaza are already in Bulgaria

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Maria Gabriel: Bulgarian citizens and their family members evacuated from Gaza are now in Bulgaria

“A total of 30 of the 36 Bulgarian citizens and their family members who were successfully evacuated with the first possible group from the Gaza Strip to Egypt are now in Bulgaria. According to their own wish, 6 have stayed in Cairo with their relatives”, this was announced by the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Maria Gabriel.

A family of three arrived first on a civil flight from Cairo to Sofia via Athens on November 3.

Today, the rest of the Bulgarian citizens and their family members successfully landed in two groups – 18 people on a flight from Rome and 9 on a flight from Istanbul.

“In less than 48 hours, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the diplomatic missions in Cairo, Ramallah and Tel Aviv, the consular services in Athens, Istanbul and Rome and the Directorate of the Situation Center in full mobilization and with coordinated efforts managed to organize the smooth transportation of our compatriots and their families to Bulgaria,” said Deputy Prime Minister Gabriel.

“From their removal from the Gaza Strip to their successful return to the country, the teams of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were committed to providing full assistance and support to Bulgarian citizens and their families. Bulgaria is among the first countries to successfully evacuate and repatriate its citizens and their family members. I express my gratitude to all the parties involved in the process and to the employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” said Maria Gabriel.