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Govts scramble to evacuate citizens from Israel and Iran Hong Kong, June 19 (AFP) Jun 19, 2025 Governments around the world are evacuating thousands of their nationals caught up in the rapidly spiralling Israel-Iran conflict, organising buses and planes and in some cases assisting people crossing borders on foot. Foreigners have rushed to leave both countries after Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign on Friday targeting Iran's nuclear and military facilities, sparking retaliation from Tehran. With Israel's air space closed and the two countries exchanging heavy missile fire, many people are being evacuated via neighbouring countries.
The Czech Republic and Slovakia have taken 181 people home on government planes. "The evacuees were taken to an airport in a neighbouring country by buses. They crossed the border on foot," the Czech defence ministry said in a statement. Germany scheduled flights for Wednesday and Thursday via Jordan, while Poland said the first of its citizens would also arrive back on Wednesday. Greece said it had repatriated 105 of its citizens plus a number of foreign nationals via Egypt, while a private plane with 148 people landed in the Bulgarian capital Sofia on Tuesday.
The embassy was working on evacuation flights and cruise ship departures for "American citizens wanting to leave Israel," Ambassador Mike Huckabee posted on social media.
"We have taken the opportunity to get a small group of Australians out of Israel through a land border crossing," Foreign Minister Penny Wong told national broadcaster ABC.
Around 3,000 Pakistanis have moved back from Iran since the conflict started, foreign ministry spokesman Shafqat Ali Khan told reporters on Thursday. The families of diplomats and some non-essential staff from Iran have also been evacuated.
New Delhi also said on Thursday it planned to evacuate all Indian nationals in Israel who wish to leave. There are around 30,000 Indians in Israel. "Their travel from Israel to India will be facilitated through the land borders and thereafter by air to India," a foreign ministry statement said.
The Japanese embassies in Iran and Israel are preparing to use buses to evacuate citizens to neighbouring countries, a government spokesman said.
At least 11 Indonesians in Israel have also asked to leave.
The foreign ministry said on Thursday that 18 Vietnamese from Iran were evacuated, 16 of whom returned to Vietnam. It did not provide further information on evacuations from Israel.
At least 21 Philippine government officials have also crossed into Jordan by land from Israel, the foreign ministry said. |
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