Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira had a telephone conversation with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry on Thursday (2). According to the investigations of the record television, The head of Brazilian diplomacy demanded a commitment from the Egyptian side to include the 34 Brazilians and their families staying in the Gaza Strip as soon as possible in the list of those who will next be allowed to cross the border through the Rafah crossing.
According to a source in Itamaraty, the Egyptian government representative had committed to investigate the matter this Friday morning (3).
• Share this news on WhatsApp
• Share this news on Telegram
On social media, Itamaraty stated that Mauro Vieira “reaffirmed efforts to open the Rafah border crossing for Brazilians stranded in Gaza so that they can enter Egyptian territory and be immediately repatriated.”
According to Itamaraty, the 34 Brazilians and close family members continue to seek refuge near the border with Egypt, in Khan Younes and Rafah. Through the representative office in Ramallah in the West Bank, Brazil rented a house to shelter in the Gaza Strip, with basic amenities and telemedicine care.
Open border
The Rafah border crossing on the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip was opened for the exit of foreigners for the first time on Wednesday (1). The group of 450 people authorized to leave the war zone has eight nationalities.
According to Brazilian Ambassador to Palestine Alessandro Candeas, citizens from Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Finland, Indonesia, Jordan, Japan and the Czech Republic were allowed to enter Egyptian territory.
In addition, 90 Palestinians are said to have been injured, as well as professionals from the Red Cross and NGOs working in the region. Brazilians were not included in this first list. Previously, Israel only allowed entry of trucks loaded with water, food and medicine. There are fears that Hamas terrorists could enter Egypt through transit.
Brazilians rescued
A group of Brazilians rescued in the West Bank arrived at the Brasília air base this Thursday at 8:35 a.m. (2). The 32 Brazilians traveled on a Brazilian Air Force (FAB) plane that stopped in Recife, where six returnees disembarked, and from there flew on to the capital with the remaining 26. Twelve of the returnees are men, nine women and 11 children.
To return to Brazil, the repatriates from eleven West Bank cities were taken to Jericho, from where they crossed the border with Jordan and continued on to Amman, the Jordanian capital. From there they boarded the FAB flight.
The aircraft used in the operation is the VC2 model and has a capacity to transport 38 people. This is the same plane that the Brazilian government sent to deliver food as part of its humanitarian aid program.