WARSAW (Reuters) – Poland will send military planes to evacuate its citizens from Israel, Polish President Andrzej Duda said on Sunday, a day after Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel.
“We are sending air force transport planes to carry out the evacuation of Poles currently staying in Israel. Soldiers from our special forces will ensure loading protection and safety on board,” Duda wrote on X social media platform.
Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said Poland was sending two C-130 Hercules planes to evacuate some 200 Poles from Ben Gurion Airport.
It would add more planes if necessary or liaise with Greece to ferry Polish citizens to the Mediterranean country before bringing them home on Casa transport planes.
“We are in talks on establishing an evacuation bridge… with Greece,” Blaszczak said at a press conference.
“We can expect these planes to take off any moment, arrive at their destination and pick up Polish tourists waiting at the airport,” he added.
Polish state-owned airline LOT cancelled flights to Ben Gurion.
(Reporting by Karol Badohal; Editing by Toby Chopra)
