Hundreds of Hungarians rescued from Israel

The government is in contact with every Hungarian citizen currently stuck in Israel who has registered for consular protection, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Tuesday, adding that the consular service was updating everyone on the latest information.

The Hungarian Air Force rescued a total of 325 people form Israel on board three aircraft on Sunday and Monday, but more people have asked to be evacuated since then, Szijjártó said after a meeting of representatives of the European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council in Muscat.

“I would once again like to ask everyone not to delay their registration for consular protection,” he said, warning that those who did not register on time could end up like those currently stuck in the Middle Eastern country.

The government is constantly monitoring the security situation in Israel and has been informed of a missile strike near the Tel Aviv airport yesterday, Szijjártó said, noting that all flights from Budapest to Tel Aviv have been cancelled.

The minister added, at the same time, that there were alternative routes out of Israel to which there was limited access.

Hungarians still in Israel who have only recently applied for consular protection are being kept updated on these routes, he said.

“Because the security situation is extremely fragile, all decisions have to be made with the utmost care and caution,” Szijjártó said.

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