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102 French citizens arrived in Cyprus on French aircraft after evacuation from Israel on Tuesday. Cyprus’ French ambassador, Clelia Chevier Kolachico, said the plane flew from Tel Aviv to Larnaca.
“I really need to thank them (Cyprus authorities). We provide them with shelter here in Larnaca, and we’ll be back in Paris tomorrow,” Kolachiko said.
The French Foreign Ministry has arranged flights and is scheduled to arrive in Cyprus on Wednesday, according to the ambassador.
Jeremy Kiatt said he arrived in Israel 15 days ago for a holiday with friends and family when missiles began flying at the start of the war between Israel and Iran on June 8th.
He said the original plan was to escape to Egypt by bus on Monday, but the French embassy informed them on Tuesday that military planes would fly out of Ben Gurion airport. The Parisian said he was relieved that he was leaving.
“There were some kind of a really scary attack, but everyone is doing well,” Kiatt said.
Cyprus has become an important transportation hub for the refuge of those who have been evacuated from Israel following the beginning of the war. Thousands of Israeli citizens stranded abroad came to Cyprus and flew in flight or on cruise ships that brought evacuees back home.
Cyprus has revitalized ESTIA plans for short hosting and repatriation of third-country citizens from regional conflict zones. The plan is being enacted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Emergency and National Crisis.
Meanwhile, the first commercial aviation to evacuate Indonesians from Iran landed in the country’s capital on Tuesday amid escalating regional tensions. The first round of 29 evacuees was scheduled to return home for the first time on three flights from Baku’s Azerbaijan capital.
However, only 11 people arrived at Soekarno Hatta International Airport in Jakarta on Tuesday evening on a Turkish airline flight.
The travel plans for the remaining evacuees were rescheduled after two Qatar Airlines flights were affected by Qatar’s airspace closure.
Indonesia recently ordered the evacuation of citizens from fighting Iran and Israel.
Approximately 386 Indonesians lived in Iran, many of whom studied in the major cities of QOM. As of Tuesday, only 96 Indonesians had left Iran by overland through Azerbaijan. Of these, 93 were civilians and three embassy staff.
Andy Lakmiant, an Indonesian diplomat currently in charge of coordinating evacuation of Indonesian citizens from Iran, said embassies in the Gulf region are receiving more requests for evacuation as “the escalation of the conflict is still ongoing and still very dynamic.”
Indonesian diplomats added that the government will soon implement a second phase evacuation for local citizens.
Additional sources •AP
