Dozens of Bulgarian citizens have already left the troubled region in Israel, but there are still people who want to evacuate but are encountering difficulties. This was stated by the Ambassador of Bulgaria to Israel Slavena Gergova in the program “Wake up“ on "Nova TV".
„Every night since last Friday has been difficult“, she shared.
„This night there was a more significant attack on Tel Aviv, but thank God there were no victims“, Gergova specified.
Gergova noted that there is no information about injured Bulgarians and she has not received any signals about destroyed homes of our compatriots.
„Bulgarians who live in Israel are extremely well acquainted with the way the state's civil protection system functions”, she added.
Regarding the evacuation, the ambassador specified that they continue to receive calls and registrations of people wishing to leave. “We have a list of Bulgarian citizens who want to be notified in the event of a possible organized evacuation“, said Gergova, adding that some of these people had refused the first proposed evacuation option “a few days ago“.
“There are citizens who want evacuation only by flight, but for the moment such a direct flight from Tel Aviv to Sofia cannot be organized“, she explained.
“When our compatriots call, many of them refuse to travel by land and insist on a direct flight“, added Gergova.
When asked whether a new evacuation is being prepared, Gergova said: “The state is certainly ready to carry out an evacuation whenever and if it is deemed necessary.“ She pointed out that “when a person feels threatened, he should take advantage of the opportunities that the state provides, even if they are not the ideal option for him“.
Regarding the safety of the evacuated citizens, the ambassador said: “The evacuation was carried out after very careful consideration and coordination with the Israeli authorities. The risk was minimized, despite the unstable situation“.
Regarding criticism of the delay in the evacuation, Gergova said: “The operation began on Friday morning and the group was evacuated on Tuesday. The closed airspace and the need for consent from third parties must be taken into account. I think there is no need to look for a calf under the ox“.
When asked if the embassy was considering closing for security reasons, the ambassador replied: “It would be a lie to say that we have no concerns – this is a war. But so far, all our compatriots who have followed the instructions and taken refuge in safe places have not been harmed“.
“We advise Bulgarian citizens to follow the recommendations of the Israeli authorities and not to underestimate the situation“, Slavena Gergova emphasized.