The European Union’s High Representative, Kaja Kallas, said the EU was facilitating evacuation missions to repatriate European citizens out of Israel.
Amid the escalating war with Iran, the EU has reportedly activated its civil protection mechanisms, primarily used to coordinate a response in cases of crisis.
Kallas spoke with reporters in Brussels, stating, “We are assisting member states to evacuate their citizens that wish to leave [Israel].”
Poland, Lithuania, and the Czech Republic have all announced evacuations of their citizens from Israel. Following the closure of the Israeli airspace, people are being taken to neighbouring countries, from where flights have been made available for them to reach home.
For instance, the Polish Foreign Ministry announced a bus convoy to carry an estimated 200 Polish citizens to Jordan, from where flights would bring them to Warsaw.
The head of Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Centre, Vilmantas Vitkaukas, said, “The security situation in Israel remains tense and complex, and its airspace is closed. Therefore, today we decided to use alternative routes to evacuate citizens by land.”
However, the Lithuanian official did not disclose the location to which its citizens are being taken, citing security concerns.
On June 18, an estimated 148 individuals landed in Bulgaria as part of the rescue operation conducted via Egypt. The Bulgarian Foreign Minister said, “The flight was organised in response to the deteriorating situation in the region and was part of the active efforts of the Bulgarian state to guarantee the security of its citizens in crisis zones.”
Though the European citizens were able to move out of Israel, the Netanyahu government barred its citizens from travelling abroad. According to Haaretz media, the government ordered domestic airlines not to permit any Israeli citizens to board outgoing flights.
Israeli Transportation Minister Miri Regev said, “We will not approve Israelis’ departures abroad at this stage.” The government said its focus was to repatriate the estimated 100,000 Israeli citizens currently stuck abroad, especially those in Iran.
