MOSCOW. Dec 18 (Interfax) - The Russian Emergency Situations Ministry is finalizing the evacuation of Russian citizens from the Gaza Strip, the ministry's press service said on Monday.
"The Russian president has decided to withdraw the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry's taskforce from Egypt," the press service quoted Emergency Situations Minister Alexander Kurenkov as saying.
"In almost two months, over 1,000 people, including more than 470 children, have been brought to Russia and given comprehensive assistance and support," Kurenkov said.
"The final group of citizens, another 73 people, including 45 children, is awaiting evacuation in Cairo. Thus, Russian rescue workers have evacuated 1,124 people from the Palestinian-Israeli conflict zone," he said.
Every evacuation request filed via the Foreign Ministry has been met, he said.
The ministry delivered 350 tonnes of humanitarian cargo for Gaza's population on 15 special flights.
"I would like to thank all specialists involved in this work for their selflessness, their readiness to help, and their effectiveness under difficult conditions. I am now asking for a clarification of further work and for the preparation of the taskforce's departure together with representatives of the Foreign Ministry," Kurenkov said.
The Gaza-based Hamas radical group attacked Israeli on October 7, killing over 1,200 people and taking another 240 hostage. The Israeli Defense Forces retaliated by launching a military operation against Hamas. According to the updated information from the Palestinian Health Ministry, Israeli strikes on Gaza have led to over 18,700 casualties.