Rescue mission saves 13 Israelis from Ethiopia conflict

The PassportCard insurance company and  Magnus International Search & Rescue rescued 13 Israeli travelers in Ethiopia on Monday.

Last week, fighting broke out between the Ethiopian army and the local FANO militia in Amhara province in Ethiopia. Battles took place in several cities and villages in the region, including Gondar, Debra Tabor, and Lalibela.

In recent days, intelligence information and mapping of the fighting areas have been collected. On Monday morning, in coordination with the local government officials, the rescue operation was carried out, with a briefing with the Israeli consulate in Addis Ababa and the Israeli Foreign Affairs Ministry.

As part of the operation, 13 Israelis and seven foreign citizens were rescued from the city of Dabarak to the city of Shire in the Tigray Region. All the rescuees arrived safely in Shire, and from there they will continue on the flight to Addis Ababa accompanied by the crew members.

There are other centers where Israeli citizens are staying. The companies' teams are monitoring the unstable situation in the area to consider a rescue if possible or a recommendation to stay in a safe area for fear of violent encounters on the roads.

Observing the situation in Ethiopia

Earlier in the week, Aliyah and Integration Minister Ofir Sofer said that Israel is closely following the state of emergency in Ethiopia due to conflicts in the Amhara region. The city of Gondar has a Jewish community with members waiting to immigrate to Israel.

An Israeli was also kidnapped in Ethiopia last month. A report by Kan shortly after stated that the kidnapping was fake, and the Foreign Ministry thus found that this wasn't a case of an Israeli in danger.

However, a week and a half ago, it was revealed that the kidnapping was not a fake and that the Israeli, who is in his 70s, was released, left Ethiopia, and has returned to Israel.

Zvika Klein and Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.