“I was unemployed, my college stopped, my whole life was at a standstill. I had been alone in my room for two weeks, without going out, without meeting friends, without working.”I speak Pedro, who has family in São Paulo.
He said he knew at least 3 of the people who were killed in the attacks on October 7, including 24-year-old Brazilian Bruna Valeanu.
“There are more people who I still don’t know if they are [sequestradas] in Gaza or if they are dead and the bodies have not yet been discovered”he declared.
More than 1,200 repatriates
So far, the operation to repatriate Brazilians totals 7 flights that brought 1,204 passengers and 44 pets. According to the MRE, the 3 Bolivian citizens were included on the plane “after the non-attendance of Brazilian passengers was confirmed”.
Administrator Michele Antunes had lived in Jerusalem for 5 years and described daily life in the city over the last few days.
“We had to go into bunkers several times. But nothing that came close to what happened near Gaza. Thank God, we were a little safer, but it was desperate because there was no one on the streets, everyone was afraid of everything”he stated.
In addition to Bruna, Michele knew Ranani Nidejelski Glazer, aged 24, the third Brazilian killed by Hamas. The woman from Rio Grande do Sul said she doesn’t expect to return to Israel soon.
“A feeling of relief, I will be able to sleep peacefully”, he stated. Michele’s mother stayed in Israel with her husband, but she must also return to Brazil.
It looked like in the pandemic
Engineering student Aline Engelender was welcomed to Rio de Janeiro by a hug from her mother. She spent 3 months studying in Israel, until the confrontation with Hamas broke out.
“The days were complicated, we were sleeping in a bunker, because you never know when a siren would ring. [de alerta contra foguetes]. We avoided leaving the house, it felt like pandemic times. We weren’t going out for anything, not even to the supermarket.”said the student who left family and friends in Israel.
“When we met the FAB military at the Israeli airport, and they said ‘now you are in Brazilian care’, it was very emotional”said Aline.
Last flight from Tel Aviv
An FAB KC-30 plane is expected to depart Tel Aviv this Sunday (Oct 22), bringing more Brazilians, with arrival scheduled for Monday (23). The MRE’s expectation is that it will be the last flight with repatriates from Israel.
“Taking into account current local conditions and the regular operation of Ben Gurion airport, no additional flights are expected for Brazilians in Israel”informed the ministry.
According to the organization, 14 thousand Brazilians lived in Israel until the end of last year. The MRE maintains the guidance so that “all nationals who have airline tickets, or are able to purchase them, board commercial flights from Ben Gurion airport, which continues to operate”.
Brazilians in Gaza
Operation Returning in Peace is ready to repatriate a group of around 30 Brazilians who are in the south of the Gaza Strip. The VC-2 aircraft (Embraer 190), provided by the Presidency of the Republic, is in Cairo, capital of Egypt, where it awaits authorization to rescue Brazilians.
The Brazilian government is making arrangements with Israel, Palestinian authorities and Egypt so that Brazilians can leave the Gaza Strip.
With information from Brazil Agency
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