The acting Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, reported this Thursday that it is expected that between 140 and 170 Spaniards will leave the Gaza Strip through the Rafá crossing, which connects the Palestinian enclave to Egypt, between today and tomorrow. .
In statements to the media at the Torrejón Air Base (Madrid), Robles determined that they were Spanish and people with dual nationality and their families who requested to be evacuated “weeks ago.”
As explained, the Israeli and Egyptian authorities have already coordinated these departures from the countries, contacting them in alphabetical order. For its part, the Government has “everything prepared” in Cairo to find the Spaniards to leave “today or tomorrow.” The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union (EU) and Cooperation will receive the notification and act to collect it.
Likewise, the acting Defense Minister did not rule out the Government organizing an air evacuation if necessary. “The Armed Forces are ready,” he assured, without giving further details.
A Spanish citizen has already managed to leave the Gaza Strip by crossing the border, opened on Wednesday to allow the evacuation of foreign citizens and those injured by Israeli bombardment. This is one in particular that came out of the NGO Doctors Without Borders (MSF).
The opening of the Rafah crossing is the first opportunity for the foreign population to leave the Palestinian enclave since the outbreak of war following the attacks carried out on October 7 by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and the subsequent response in Israel.
Until now, the pass has only been opened on several specific occasions to allow the entry of convoys with humanitarian aid. The current agreement was brokered by Qatar, in coordination with the United States, for an agreement between Egypt, Israel and Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip.
