Deputy Foreign Minister Paweł Jabłoński addressed claims circulated by Rafał Otoka-Frąckiewicz that Polish citizens were not listed for evacuation from the Gaza Strip and that Poland had not pressed Israel to permit Polish evacuations.
READ MORE: War in the Middle East – the latest news
Journalist Rafał Otoko-Frąckiewicz accused the Polish government on social media of falling behind other nations in ensuring Poles were included on evacuation lists from Gaza. He also alleged that Warsaw had not urged Israel to allow the evacuation of Polish nationals.
Jabłoński answers
Deputy Foreign Minister Paweł Jabłoński referred to Otoka-Frąckiewicz’s post on the X platform, labeling it as misinformation. The politician chose to respond publicly to the accusations and dispel lingering doubts.
The evacuation of third-country nationals from Gaza began on a Wednesday at a pace of several dozen people per day. It is not true that hundreds of Americans, Britons, Hungarians, and Czechs were evacuated. About five to six thousand people remain awaiting evacuation, including some Poles among the third-country nationals.
– Deputy Minister Paweł Jabłoński stated on Platform X.
Poles are included on evacuation lists; the list was provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Egyptian and Israeli sides in early October. The evacuation was suspended yesterday, according to information from Israel and Egypt.
– he added.
Deputy Minister Jabłoński also commented on the claims that Egypt has little say in the evacuation of Poles from Gaza.
The assertion that “Egypt has no say in this” regarding the border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip captures the essential points of the information shared by @rafalhubert’s account, according to the deputy head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
– he noted.
Paweł Jabłoński also responded to questions about whether a high-ranking Polish official would visit Israel on this matter.
The first urgent meeting with the Israeli ambassador occurred in October at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ambassadors from Egypt and Palestine were also invited, and the Ministry has kept them informed. More meetings with these representatives are planned for tomorrow.
– he explained.
He urged caution when consuming information from the @rafalhubert account, noting that a significant portion of it is unreliable.
– Jabłoński summarized.
Guarantees from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
In information shared with PAP, the Foreign Ministry stated that through its embassy in Tel Aviv it has stayed in close and regular contact with Israeli authorities since the outbreak of the conflict and has done everything possible to help Polish citizens in Gaza evacuate safely and quickly.
The Ministry reported that requests for Poland’s permission to leave Gaza were made six times in the form of diplomatic notes and through daily formal contacts with Israeli representatives.
The embassy operates not only independently in this matter but also within local consular cooperation. The ministry said the embassy has provided Israeli institutions with lists of Polish citizens in Gaza and urged their departure as soon as possible.
They stated that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its subordinate units continue to work to accelerate this process.
– the ministry noted.
On October 7, Hamas attacked Israel. In response, Israel launched retaliatory strikes. Under Operation NEON, the Polish armed forces evacuated more than 1.5 thousand people from Israel, including Polish citizens and people from other countries.
READ ALSO:
— Poland in the Gaza Strip. Deputy Foreign Ministers: We are doing everything possible to ensure evacuation. Egypt is key, but the United States and Qatar are also involved
— The complicated situation of Poles in Israel. MFA: It is currently impossible for Polish citizens to leave Gaza
Mon/PAP/X
End of report