For Brazilians on the border with the Gaza Strip, there is a routine full of hope and frustration
Brazilians and family members on the Gaza Strip exit list have not yet been able to cross the border with Egypt, which has been closed for the second day in a row.
24 Brazilians remain on alert and await the call to leave the conflict area.
And it was another Saturday of frustration. The border between Gaza and Egypt remained closed.
Brazilian Hasan Rabee, who arrived in Gaza in September to visit his family, expects the group to be able to cross the border on Sunday (12).
“We have just received notification that the border will be open on Sunday (12). Those leaving can be those who were on the last list, there are more or less 700 or 600 people, depending on the number, but on Sunday (12th) we will try to cross the border again. I sincerely hope and pray that they can bring the injured in first because if the injured come in, it will be much easier for us to get in,” said the Brazilian.
Brazilians have been living this everyday life of hope and frustration for a month now. Brazilian Ambassador to Palestine Alessandro Candeas stated that Egypt requires the departure of a minimum number of ambulances as a priority before authorizing the deportation of foreigners.
However, according to Candeas, there is no plan to move ambulances because hospitals are located in the center of the conflict zone, preventing the movement of injured people from the north to the south of the Gaza Strip.
On Friday (10) some Brazilians spent the morning in Rafah, a kilometer from the border with Egypt.
“We are tired, very tired. I just want this border to be opened soon, opened soon, for the love of God!” says Brazilian Shahed Al Banna.
After two consecutive days of border closures, the State Department preferred not to make a new forecast on the withdrawal of Brazilians. Itamaraty reiterated that it is still working on it. That Brazilians are on the list of those authorized to leave Gaza and that the group is in good health.
A medical team is part of the flight crew ready in Egypt to transport the Brazilians to Brasília.
The original schedule is that they will travel by bus to the city of Al Arish. And there they will catch the Brazilian Air Force plane that will take them back.
When they arrive in Brazil, they must stay two nights in Brasília in FAB accommodation to recover and rest.
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