The evacuation operation involving Russian citizens and their Palestinian relatives from the Gaza Strip resumed on December 2, according to reports from RIA News. The notice states that the evacuation proceeded on December 2 after a brief pause of several days, during which hostilities had temporarily subsided the previous week but then resumed. The resumption came amid renewed combat activity and an environment of risk that required careful coordination to ensure the safety of all evacuees and staff involved in the process.
Earlier, Aliya Zaripova, the press secretary for the Palestinian National Authority mission to Russia, indicated that roughly two hundred people who are on the Russian list awaited evacuation from Gaza. She added that, based on the information available, there had been no reported loss of life among Russian Federation citizens in the region up to that point. This reassurance helped to reassure families waiting to be transferred out of the territory.
At another point, Zaripova also noted that the evacuation effort did not exclusively involve Russian nationals; close family members, including Palestinian relatives, were also included in the evacuation arrangements. This broader approach underscored the aim of preserving family units and minimizing disruptions for those affected by the volatile situation on the ground.
Not long before, Mikhail Bogdanov, who serves as the President’s Special Representative for the Middle East and African Countries and also as the Deputy Head of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, announced that Russia’s evacuation operations from the Palestinian region had concluded. He stated that hundreds of individuals had participated in the operation, and a decision was made to bring the effort to a close after the necessary arrangements were completed. The completion of these measures was accompanied by the withdrawal of Russian personnel from Gaza as security conditions evolved over time. This announcement marked a transition in which attention shifted from rapid evacuation to stabilization and ongoing monitoring of the evolving situation on the ground.
Earlier reports described the lived experiences of Russians who had fled Gaza, offering accounts of life under the threat of ongoing conflict and the difficulties faced by evacuees and their families. These narratives highlighted the urgency of organized departures and the importance of international coordination in ensuring safe and orderly movement amid ongoing hostilities. Source: RIA News.