Georgia’s Israel Ambassador rejects “unfounded reports” about leaving state
In his social media post, Zhvania said there was “no reason” to leave the country and added all employees of the Embassy were working “round-the-clock for the seventh day” since the start of the incidents. Photo: Lasha Zhvania/Facebook
Tweet 
Share
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.
In his social media post, Zhvania said there was “no reason” to leave the country and added all employees of the Embassy were working “round-the-clock for the seventh day” since the start of the incidents.
He also said the Georgian Foreign Ministry was working with Georgian Airways to schedule additional commercial flights to the country, while the Embassy had launched hotline numbers for Georgian nationals in Israel.
Starting on Saturday, Hamas launched more than 5,000 rockets from Gaza into Israel territory, with the group’s fighters entering Israeli territories and kidnapping citizens, both alive and dead. The Israeli Government declared a state of war alert, has bombed Gaza and is preparing for an expected ground operation into the sector.
Georgian officials, including the country’s Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, President Salome Zourabichvili and Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili, condemned the attacks on Saturday.
Developments in Israel, on the backdrop of the attacks by Hamas on the country’s territory and the anticipated ground operation by the Israeli armed forces into Gaza, were discussed on Friday in a meeting between the Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili and Hadas Meitzad, the Israeli Ambassador to the country.
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.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Tuesday met with Hadas Meitzad, the Israeli Ambassador to the country, to send his condolences to the victims of the attacks on Israeli territory by Hamas over the last several days.
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.
Developments in Israel with the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas’ attacks on the country’s territory were discussed on Monday in a meeting between the Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili and Hadas Meitzad, the Israeli Ambassador to the country.
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.
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili on Saturday said she was “deeply concerned” with the recent escalation in Israel and the “loss of innocent human lives”, and stressed Georgia stood in “full solidarity” with Israel “in these difficult moments”.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Saturday “strongly” condemned “the terrible terrorist attack” on Israel and its citizens.
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 Sunday “advised those who are under stress” to leave Israel and go back to Georgia as the situation in the country “is still tense” amid the ongoing Hamas-Israel conflict, emphasising “this process will not end in two or three months, these are quite long hostilities”.