By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Zambia has commenced the evacuation of its citizens from Israel, arising from the ongoing fighting between Israeli forces and the Hamas militant group, a war sparked by attack on Israeli territory by Hamas on Oct 7.
The Zambian foreign affairs ministry while announcing this operation on Thursday, said it conducted a process of identifying the actual physical location of all Zambians known to be living in Israel.
According to the ministry, its findings indicate that there are 172 citizens, comprising 143 students while the rest are diplomats and residents.
Stanley Kakubo, the minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, said so far 77 out of 172 Zambians found living in Israel after a physical identification have arrived in Zambia, with 72 of them being students.
“For those who have chosen to remain in Israel, be rest assured that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation will maintain close collaboration with the embassy and the Israel Foreign Ministry, and stands ready to take any necessary actions that will ensure their continued welfare and safety,” he said in a ministerial statement.
He, however, confirmed that there have been no Zambian casualties in the conflict.
Thousands of persons have been killed, with Israel and Gaza Strip recording casualties.
Israel has repeatedly vowed to eliminate Hamas militants but said it would reduce civilian damage after drafting its military to Gaza ahead of an expected ground onslaught.
US and UK have demonstrated support for Israel but call for reduction of humanitarian crisis in Gaza Strip.
