The Portuguese Minister of Foreign Affairs stated this Thursday, in Bissau, that there are difficulties at the border of Rafah, and it has not yet been possible to rescue the ten citizens who are in the Gaza Strip noted by Portugal.
João Gomes Cravinho spoke with Lusa at the end of the ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of the unilateral declaration of independence of Guinea-Bissau, in which the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, and the Prime Minister, António Costa, also participated . He participated.
“Yesterday [terça-feira] The Egyptian and Israeli authorities informed us that they would leave today. Until now it has not been possible”he said, noting that “There have been many problems at the border.”of Rafah, between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, with the Portuguese authorities remaining”in permanent contact” with those of Cairo and Tel Aviv.
After stating that it is still “not clear if they will be able to leave today or if it will have to be postponed”, Cravinho stated that his “hope is that they will be able to leave soon”, stressing that the withdrawal does not depend on Portugal.
In a statement issued on Wednesday evening, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the Egyptian authorities, together with Israel, had authorized the departure of ten citizens flagged by Portugal from the Gaza Striptwo of whom are Portuguese-Palestinian.
“The exit must be carried out, under the coordination of local authorities, through the Rafah crossing, in the next few hours, which will be open for the transfer of foreign citizens from Gaza to Egypt,” Portuguese diplomacy then indicated, in the same release. in which the death of three Portuguese in bombings in the south of the Gaza Strip was announced.
Speaking on Tuesday night, in Bissau, João Gomes Cravinho regretted the death of the three Portuguese citizens in Gazaand added that they died “one adult and two children”of Portuguese nationality, along with two relatives.
The minister, who arrived in Bissau on Tuesday, leaves this Thursday afternoon for Lisbon, in the company of the Prime Minister, António Costa.
Source: TSF
