One hundred and seventy-four Israeli citizens and people eligible for aliyah were rescued last Thursday (10 August 2023), from the city of Gondar. At the same time, 30 Israeli citizens were rescued from the city of Bahir Dar in northern Ethiopia. A total of 204 Israeli citizens and people eligible for aliyah were rescued in four flights. All 204 were flown to the capital of Addis Ababa.
Several days ago, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in consultation with Minister of Foreign Affairs Eli Cohen, directed National Security Council Director Tzahi Hanegbi to lead inter-ministerial coordination for a rescue operation. The operation was led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Israeli Embassy in Ethiopia, the Prime Minister's Office, the National Security Council and the Jewish Agency.
Over the past 24 hours, the Israeli Embassy in Ethiopia and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem contacted most of the Israeli citizens in the areas of Gondar and Bahir Dar. Last night, they were instructed to go meeting points in those cities head of their extraction. To this end, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Situation Room was reinforced with diplomats, Jewish Agency personnel and IDF soldiers fluent in Amharic.
At the meeting points, the Israelis boarded designated buses that were waiting for them and which transported them to the Gondar and Bahir Dar airport. There, they boarded special flights that had been coordinated in advance and which arrived in Addis Ababa earlier today.
Prime Minister Netanyahu [translated from Hebrew]:
"The State of Israel looks after its citizens wherever they are. In recent days, Israeli citizens and people eligible for aliyah from Ethiopia became in distress in areas of combat. I directed that they be brought out of there.
I would like to thank the National Security Council and the personnel of the Prime Minister's Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Jewish Agency for their quick, quiet and – above all – successful action.
The people are now on their way from Gondar and Bahir Dar to Addis and from there they will leave for the State of Israel. We will welcome them here with warmth and blessings. Welcome to the State of Israel."
Minister of Foreign Affairs Cohen [translated from Hebrew]:
"The State of Israel will not stand aside and leave even one Israeli behind. This was the result of successful cooperation and close coordination between the Prime Minister's Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Security Council and the Jewish Agency.
I am proud of the personnel from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Israeli Embassy in Ethiopia for their quick and high-quality action.
As we have proven in the past, and in this event as well, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to work – in every way possible – to assist every Israeli in the world who needs help."
The Israelis who were rescued from the combat zone will stay in Addis Ababa until they decide whether to stay in Ethiopia or return to Israel.