2023-10-09 13:42:33
One of the two Spaniards who disappeared in Israel due to the surprise attack by Hamas is Basque. He is a citizen of Zarautz, who lived for several years in Bilbao and resides there, specifically in the Kissufim kibbutz, near Gaza. The other person affected is a 19-year-old girl with Spanish and Israeli nationality who was doing military service and whose family resides in Seville.
The Spanish Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares, announced this this morning, although he has not detailed how he is. “We are in contact with their families and trying to clarify and be able to help as much as possible.” The Basque has been identified as Iván Illarramendi Saizar, 46 years old. Apparently, he is married to an Israeli and lives in an agricultural cooperative 2 kilometers from Gaza.
According to sources close to the family, members of Hamas tried to access their house and they hid in a safe room. Just before, the couple called their parents to let them know. When the police arrived, the home was empty and without blood stains, so the theory is that both had been kidnapped.
The other affected person is Maya Villalobo Sivany, who is at the Nahal Oz base, also near the border with Gaza. And the authorities believe that she has suffered the same fate as Illarramendi and his wife. Her father, a resident of Seville, had asked for help through Twitter this Sunday when he had no news of her whereabouts.
Albares has confirmed the disappearance of these two citizens in Rac1 and, at the same time, has spoken out about the possible repatriation of other Spaniards who are in Israel. “Iberia has begun to resume its flights,” after cancellations occurred “in the hours following” the attack, so it hopes that “throughout today” the situation of these citizens who were trying to return to Spain is normalized.
Avoid “non-essential” trips
In another subsequent interview on TVE, the minister – who asks to avoid all “non-essential” travel to Israel and Palestine as most countries have done after what happened this Saturday – once again referred to the fact that there are two Spaniards whose identities have been confirmed. , but did not want to give more details for security reasons: «There are two Spaniards affected and we are in permanent contact with their families and with the Israeli authorities. For security reasons we cannot give more details »he pointed out.
Albares also wanted to make it clear that what Israel suffered this weekend “is terrorism.” “Without a doubt, we are talking about terrorism and terrorist acts that we have strongly condemned.” «Shooting indiscriminately against civilians, holding so many people against their will, these are terrorist acts. There is no doubt about it, nor can there be any qualification,” he assured this morning.
The Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, declared this Saturday the state of war in the country after the massive attack with more than 2,200 rockets added to a ground incursion launched by the Islamist movement Hamas. Other countries such as the United States have also claimed to have received reports of several dead or missing Americans. Like France, which has confirmed the death of a French citizen and added that several of her nationals had not yet been located.
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