Georgia’s Israel Ambassador: Embassy will operate in “regular mode” with areas remaining “relatively calm”

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”.

Zhvania said the “general situation” in Israel was “still difficult”, adding the visit of the United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday, and his meetings with regional leaders, “gave hope” of the hostilities being prevented from turning into a regional, “large-scale fighting”.

The diplomat also said 1,550 Georgian nationals with dual citizenship had left the country on the backdrop of the hostilities.

In comments about flights between Georgia and Israel, Zhvania said airlines had reduced the number of connections with demand reduced over the past week, and added direct flight frequency would “increase upon request”.

On October 7 Hamas launched over 5,000 rockets from Gaza into Israeli territory, with the group’s fighters entering the country’s territories and kidnapping citizens. The Israeli Government has launched a bombing campaign on Gaza in response.

Over 1,400 were killed in Hamas’ original incursions into Israel, with more than 9,770 killed so far by the Israeli Defence Forces’ bombing and ground operations in the Gaza Strip.