Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira said in an interview on Friday (3) that Israel’s Foreign Minister Eli Cohen guaranteed that Brazilians would be able to leave Gaza through the Rafah border crossing and enter Egypt by Wednesday (8).
“Today I had a telephone conversation, it was the fourth one I have had recently, with Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, and he gave me guarantees that by Wednesday all Brazilians who are in Gaza will be able to leave through the Rafah border crossing,” he said stated.
According to Vieira, access will be provided through Brazilian embassies in Ramallah, Palestine and Egypt where Brazilians must board a Brazilian Air Force (FAB) aircraft already in the country.
“He [Cohen] He assured me that they will leave by Wednesday and that he will also do everything possible, if he can foresee it a day or two he will do it, but on Wednesday he gives all the guarantees,” said Vieira.
Until this Friday, three lists of foreigners, each with around 500 people, had been approved to leave the Gaza Strip, but these groups did not contain any Brazilians.
Following an agreement between Israel, Egypt and Hamas, the Gaza authorities published on Friday (3) a new list with the names of civilians who can leave the territory. There are no Brazilians among those allowed to leave Gaza.
The list contains 571 names of people with citizenship of the United States, United Kingdom, Italy, Indonesia, Germany and Mexico. This is the third group of foreigners allowed to leave the territory since the conflict began.
Brazilians in the Gaza Strip are concerned about the bombings and report difficulties communicating with relatives. There is also a shortage of water, food and medicine in the region.