Two planes carrying Polish citizens evacuated from the Gaza Strip landed at the Okęcie military airport on Monday. According to Lt Col Jacek Goryszewski, spokesman for the Operational Command of the Armed Forces, all will receive psychological and medical care.

“All evacuees (18 people) will receive psychological and medical care. If they need a place to stay until their families arrive, they will also be provided”, the spokesman said. He stressed that the military is prepared for further tasks.

Information about the first Polish citizens evacuated from Gaza was also shared by the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).

“We do not cease in our efforts and are in constant contact with the Israeli and Egyptian authorities to ensure the safe departure of all Polish citizens from the area of hostilities. This is not the end of our efforts. The aim is to evacuate all Polish citizens”, informs the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“I am happy to report good news on Saturday, but it is worth remembering that it has been a difficult puzzle with terrorists and services”, wrote on Twitter on Monday, head of the National Security Office Jacek Siewiera.

The launch of the evacuation process is the result of cooperation and decisions that were made at the presidential and governmental side, primarily the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“For a long time, there has been contact between our institutions to ensure the care of those in Gaza. President Andrzej Duda also met a few days ago with the family of Alex Danzyg (one of the Polish citizens in Gaza), most likely held by terrorists. ‘We are involved in various formats in talks regarding the release of the hostages’, stressed Siewiera.

Intensive diplomatic efforts have been carried out by, among others, Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau and Deputy Minister Paweł Jablonski.

Arkadiusz Słomczyński