The former president claims to have asked for help in releasing Brazilians who have been in the south of the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the conflict
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Jair Bolsonaro was convicted by the TSE in June and was consequently ineligible to vote. The court is now analyzing three further convictions against him.
Photo: Wilton Junior/Estadão / Estadão
Former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) says he lobbied the Israeli government to allow Brazilians to leave Gaza. The former head of government told CNN on Thursday (9th) that the requests for help came as part of discussions with Yossi Shelley, adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The request, says Bolsonaro, is about Brazilians who have been waiting to be evacuated in the south of the Gaza Strip since the conflict between Hamas and Israel began. They are waiting for permission from Egypt to leave Palestinian territory via the Rafah border crossing.
The conversation took place three days ago, said the former president. “I spoke to Benjamin Netanyahu’s special adviser and former ambassador to Brazil and asked for support for the release of the Brazilians. Yossi told me that there were no restrictive measures and no obstacles from the Israeli government. “Israel has agreed that Brazilians must leave the region, either through Israel or Egypt,” he told the broadcaster.
A group of 34 people, 24 Brazilians and 10 close family members of Palestinian origin, have been waiting for weeks to leave the Gaza Strip, which continues to be bombarded by Israel in a conflict that has lasted more than a month.
They are currently divided into two groups: 18 are in Rafah, where the GazaEgypt border is located, and 16 in Khan Younes.
Teams from the embassy in Egypt are already on the way to the border to rescue Brazilians. The Brazilian government received permission to land in Al Arish, an Egyptian city 53 km from Gaza. The group is expected to arrive in Brazil by Sunday.
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