Governments extending help to fly out citizens caught in attack in Israel

LONDON - Governments across the world are working to establish the status of their citizens in Israel following the unprecedented attacks on Saturday, with various reports of murder and kidnapping, according to dpa reports.

The UK government is working to establish the status of its people in Israel, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said, as deadly attacks by Hamas saw one British man serving in the country's army killed at the Gaza border.

Two other UK nationals - 26-year-old Jake Marlowe, who went to the same London school as Young, and photographer Dan Darlington - are also thought to be missing.

When asked what assistance is being provided to British citizens caught up in the conflict, Sunak told reporters: "This is a dangerous and fast-moving situation on the ground. And I know that there will be families who are anxious about their loved ones."

"I want to reassure them that the Foreign Office and the Government here are in close contact with our Israeli counterpart to establish the status of any British nationals on the ground."

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has advised against all but essential travel to Israel and Occupied Palestinian Territories due to the conflict.

Also, in London, an Irish-Israeli citizen has been reported missing after the surprise attack on Saturday, reported PA Media/dpa.

The Irish government said it is in contact with the family of 22-year-old Kim Damti, who is unaccounted for after an unprecedented surprise attack was launched against Israel.

Irish premier Leo Varadkar said the government was aware of the case.

He added, "We don't have any definite detail beyond that, but certainly (we're) aware of it and willing to offer any consular assistance we can to any Irish citizens or any dual Irish citizens that are caught up in these terrible attacks."

The Department of Foreign Affairs said it is "aware of this case and we are in touch with the family directly and providing consular assistance".

"I don't think anyone could do anything other than condemn that and we do condemn it unreservedly. I would also urge restraint by the Israeli authorities, there will be retaliation for this, I'm sure, but for the first time, I think in a very long time, Israel is united and the free world is standing in solidarity with Israel."

"But that could change, I think, if the response from Israel is excessive and results in unnecessary civilian deaths in Gaza, so very much that is this part of our message too."

In Sofia, Bulgaria announced it has flown 90 citizens out of Tel Aviv on a government plane after major attacks by Hamas on Israel.

The Airbus-type plane, which took off from Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv on Sunday, landed in Sofia shortly before 6 pm local time (1500 GMT), Bulgaria's BTA news agency reported.

In Warsaw, Poland is planning to fly out its citizens from Israel and is sending several C-130 Hercules transport planes from the Polish Air Force to get its nationals out of what has become a war zone.

"Soldiers from our special forces will provide boarding protection and security on board," President Andrzej Duda wrote on Sunday on the X, formerly Twitter.

So far, 200 Polish tourists are waiting to be taken to safety from Israel. Among them are reportedly children from a school class that had made a trip to Israel.

In Berlin, the German Foreign Ministry said German citizens are assumed to be among those kidnapped from Israel, adding that those abducted are all dual Israeli-German citizens.

According to the information currently available, the Foreign Ministry said that it was coordinating very closely with the Israeli authorities and the German Embassy in Tel Aviv.

The office also asked for understanding that, in order to protect the persons concerned, they could not comment publicly on the number of people or on individual cases.

Meanwhile, in Bangkok/Tel Aviv, dpa has reported that several Thai citizens were also among those killed, injured, and kidnapped by Hamas.

Two Thai citizens were killed, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said on Sunday during a visit to Hong Kong, according to the Bangkok Post. In addition, 11 Thais had been abducted and eight injured, Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara said, according to the newspaper.

Among the injured, three could not yet be recovered, it said. Some 25,000 Thai workers were in Israel, the Bangkok Post quoted the prime minister as saying. They were preparing to fly their own citizens out of Israel, several Thai media reported. - BERNAMA-DPA