Number of Nationals Staying in Israel Reduced to 720... "No Evacuation Plan Yet"

Ministry of Foreign Affairs: "Some Long-term Residents Return Home, All Safe"

The number of our nationals staying in Israel, which was attacked unexpectedly by the Palestinian armed group Hamas, has decreased to around 720 as of the 12th. The government confirmed that all expatriates are safe but plans to review evacuation plans after monitoring the local situation.

Im Su-seok, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a regular briefing held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building on the same day, "Since the outbreak of the armed conflict, some long-term and short-term residents have left Israel by air or land," adding, "All (residents) have been confirmed to be safe." He also added, "Our nationals in the Gaza Strip have also been confirmed to be safe." The Gaza Strip is an area governed by Hamas, where the influence of our embassy is limited, raising significant concerns about the safety of our nationals.

Im Soo-seok, Deputy Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Photo by Yonhap News

Among approximately 720 people staying in Israel, about 540 are long-term residents and about 180 are short-term residents. At the time the conflict broke out, there were about 570 long-term residents and 480 short-term residents, so the number has decreased by about 330.

Earlier, on the 10th (local time), a repatriation flight carrying 192 short-term residents departed from Israel, and 27 people moved to neighboring countries by land. On this day, 30 people are scheduled to depart for a third country using Turkish Airlines, and the number of nationals gradually leaving Israel is increasing.

An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "Since the environment is no longer suitable for local travel, (the short-term residents remaining in Israel) want to leave Israel if possible," adding, "The government also intends to support them in various ways to enable them to depart as soon as possible." The government has issued a 'Special Travel Advisory' for areas in Israel where it had previously recommended 'Travel Caution' corresponding to travel alert level 2, and is advising residents to leave for a third country if possible.

Regarding the possibility of raising the alert level, the official said, "There are no immediate plans," but explained, "We will closely monitor the armed conflict between Israel and Hamas and review it when necessary in coordination with the local embassy." Regarding the evacuation operation for expatriates, he said, "There are no plans yet," and added, "We are carefully observing the situations in other countries as well, prioritizing the safety of our nationals, and closely monitoring the local situation and international trends."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.