Seven more missing Ukrainians located in Israel

This information was shared by Oleh Nikolenko, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, during a telethon broadcast.

Nikolenko mentioned that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' operational headquarters, established to assist Ukrainians in Israel, received and processed over 700 appeals from Ukrainian citizens in just three days.

During the past day, Ukrainian diplomats successfully located seven Ukrainians in the southern region of Israel, who were previously considered missing. They are now safe.

Furthermore, diplomats are currently addressing the case of a Ukrainian boy who was rescued from a war zone. He is receiving medical and psychological support, and preparations are underway for his return to Ukraine to be with his relatives.

Regarding casualties among Ukrainians, Nikolenko stated, "As for the deceased or injured Ukrainians, we have confirmed information about two Ukrainian women. The situation remains unchanged. We have unconfirmed information about the possible deaths of three more Ukrainians: two in Israel and one in the Gaza Strip."

He also mentioned that some Ukrainians contacted the operational headquarters because they were unable to leave Israel due to flight cancellations. Approximately 300 citizens in Israel and 150 Ukrainians in the Gaza Strip have expressed their desire to leave the region.

The spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained the available options for Ukrainians to leave Israel. The primary option is Ben-Gurion Airport, as some commercial airlines continue to operate flights despite the cancellations. Citizens are advised to check with these airlines for departure possibilities.

Simultaneously, the operational headquarters, along with other relevant Ukrainian agencies, are exploring alternative methods to assist Ukrainian citizens in leaving the country. All available options are being considered, and citizens will be informed as soon as decisions are made.

Nikolenko mentioned that diplomats have already registered the contacts of Ukrainians who reached out to the embassy, and they will receive appropriate guidance as soon as more information becomes available.

However, the situation in the Gaza Strip remains more complicated due to ongoing hostilities. The removal of citizens from this area can only occur under conditions of adequate security, which is currently lacking.

Recent events in Israel: What we know about Ukrainians 

On the morning of Saturday, October 7, 2023, Palestinian groups called Hamas and Islamic Jihad attacked Israel both from the air and on the ground in several places. The leader of the armed branch of Hamas said they initiated the "Al-Aqsa Flood" operation to protect the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Palestinians fired around 2,000-3,000 rockets into Israel and took control of 7 communities in the southern part of the country.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a statement about the Hamas attack and officially declared Israel to be "at war" from 06:00 on October 7. The last time Israel declared a state of war like this was 50 years ago, during the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

Following this, Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the formation of a response team to assist Ukrainians in Israel.

Ukraine's Ambassador to Israel, Yevhen Korniychuk, mentioned that the embassy was receiving requests for help from Ukrainian citizens on both the Israeli and Palestinian sides.

On Saturday evening, the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, reported that a Ukrainian citizen might have died due to the conflict in Israel.

Around the same time, it was reported that Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs was actively looking for a Ukrainian who went missing in the southern part of Israel. Additionally, up to 200 Ukrainian citizens were believed to be in the Gaza Strip at that time.

By October 8, it was confirmed that two Ukrainian citizens had lost their lives during the events in Israel, and diplomats were taking steps to repatriate their remains.

A day later, diplomats successfully evacuated a Ukrainian boy injured during a militant attack in the Israeli city of Sderot. They also located five other citizens who were previously considered missing in southern Israel.