Georgian FM says Gov’t helping Georgian citizens return from Israel amid Hamas attacks
Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili on Wednesday said the Government was “doing its best” to help Georgian citizens return from Israel. Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs
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Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili on Wednesday said the Government was “doing its best” to help Georgian citizens return from Israel amid ongoing attacks by Hamas, but added there was “no need” to launch special flights from the country.
The need for special flights arises if there are no flights between the two countries, but we have four to five flights every day, operated by different airlines. About 3,000 people have arrived from Israel to Georgia on these flights”, Darchiashvili told reporters.
The Minister said the Government was trying “as much as possible” to ensure “no barriers” between citizens and airline companies, and that passengers could purchase tickets “smoothly”.
We continue to communicate and, if necessary, provide hotels to our citizens if they are in a desperate situation. There are special groups, for example, children who arrived in Israel for treatment, and we support them as much as possible so that they can be transferred to another location or return to Georgia in time”, he said.
The official added the safety of Georgian citizens was of “special importance”.
Our Embassy has opened several hotlines. We continue to identify the needs of our citizens on the spot. We continue to protect the interests of our citizens and I am sure that all citizens who want to return to Georgia will be able to return to their homeland", Darchiashvili said.
The death toll from the ongoing violence between Israel and Hamas has passed 1,800, with more than 1,000 people killed and 2,700 injured in Israel, and at least 900 people killed and 4,500 injured in Gaza, according to Palestinian and Israeli health services.
Kakha Kaladze, the Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Tuesday pledged support for Israel amid its ongoing conflict with the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
The Adjarabet Arena Stadium in Georgia’s Black Sea city of Batumi was on Monday illuminated with the national colours of Israel to show solidarity with the country following attacks on Israeli territory by Hamas over the last few days.
Georgian Ambassador to Israel Lasha Zhvania on Monday said no reports on injured, missing or killed Georgian citizens had been received by his office amid ongoing attacks by Hamas in Israeli territory.
The hilltop TV tower overlooking Georgia’s capital Tbilisi is on Sunday illuminated with the national colours of Israel in a symbolic show of solidarity with the country following the terrorist attack yesterday.
Lasha Zhvania, Georgia’s Ambassador to Israel, on Friday rejected “unfounded reports” of having left Israel on the backdrop of attacks by Hamas on the country’s territory and the anticipated ground operation by the Israeli armed forces into Gaza.
Lasha Zhvania, Georgia’s Ambassador to Israel, on Saturday said the Embassy had not received any information “so far” about injured Georgian citizens in Israel amid attacks by Hamas on the country’s territory and the anticipated ground operation by the Israeli armed forces into Gaza, adding “there are no Georgian citizens in the Gaza Strip”.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Monday condemned the recent “terrorist attack” organised by Palestinian terrorist organisation Hamas on Israel in a meeting with the country’s Ambassador to Georgia Hadas Meitzad in Tbilisi.
Lasha Zhvania, the Georgian Ambassador to Israel, on Monday said the Embassy had continued to operate in a “regular mode” since the outbreak of latest hostilities on the territories of the country and in the Gaza sector, as the situation in “certain parts” of Israel remained “relatively calm”.