Spain is preparing the evacuation of its citizens in the the Gaza Strip through the border crossing with Egypt, after negotiating it with Israel and Cairo, as reported to EFE by the coordinator of the Spanish community in Gaza, Salah al Sousi.
“We receive a statement from the Spanish consulate in Jerusalem and it informs us that there is a negotiation between Spain, Egypt and Israel, which will allow us to leave Gaza through Rafah,” the only border crossing in the strip that is not controlled by Israel,” indicates Al Sousi in a telephone conversation.
Al Sousi, who already coordinated the evacuation of Spaniards from Gaza in 2008 and 2014, estimated that they are currently in the strip just over 250 people of Spanish nationality. “Tomorrow they will go, each one on their own, to Rafah, because they are in different parts, there is no specific meeting point, which is very difficult,” explains the coordinator of the planned plan.
“The Rafa crossing will be prepared from 12 to 5:00 p.m.; on the Egyptian side, a delegation from the Spanish Embassy in Egypt will be waiting for the Spanish colony and they will take us to Cairo and then we will be waiting for a plane that is coming from Madrid to pick us up and take us to Spain,” he details.
EFE has not been able to confirm this information immediately with the Spanish consulate in Jerusalem. The intense Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip, in retaliation for the deadly attack by the Islamist organization Hamas on Israel last Saturday, has already left more than 1,900 dead and more than 7,700 injured. Added to this is a total blockade by Israel, which does not allow the entry of goods, food, water, electricity or fuel, and serious interruptions of telephone and internet service.