Following an assessment of the situation that exists this morning (Friday), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid decided to continue the activities of the Israeli task force in Lvov, to which it was transferred from Kiev. The yeshiva reported difficulties in rescuing Israelis who are in Ukraine due to a very heavy load at the border crossings. Ukrainian Ambassador to Israel Yevgen Kornychuk said: “We are in the process of receiving humanitarian aid from Israel, which we hope will arrive within hours. We are not talking about the IDF and we are smart enough not to seek military assistance because of your sensitivity to Syria.”
Earlier it was reported that Israel is considering reopening the Israeli embassy in Ukraine, this time outside the country itself. According to a report on the “This Morning” program here on Network B, the issue arose during the night discussion last night, led by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and other senior officials. Tonight there will be another assessment of the situation on the issue.
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During the hearing, according to a source involved in the details, a position was presented that Lvov is also now under attack and therefore its copying should be considered, as the safety of the staff members is in doubt. The contingency plan prepared by the Foreign Ministry includes the relocation of the embassy to action from Polish territory.
At the same time, Israel’s ambassador to Ukraine, Michael Brodsky, said today that it is not possible for the time being to rescue Israelis from the country. “The situation does not look good. Citizens have difficulty getting out of the big cities, getting out of them is forbidden by vehicle and on the roads west there are large traffic jams,” Brodsky said. In an interview with Ilail Shachar here on Net 2, the ambassador added that Israel had received requests to provide Ukraine with humanitarian aid and that it would try to do so in the coming days.
Meanwhile, the staff of the Israeli Embassy in Ukraine, with the help of Israeli diplomats from neighboring missions, yesterday helped hundreds of Israelis to leave the country. Embassy personnel evacuated to the western city of Lvov took three buses of Israeli citizens from the city to the Polish border. In addition, the teams of diplomats at the border crossings helped about 500 Israelis cross the border.
The Foreign Ministry reiterates its call on all Israeli citizens in Ukraine to leave the country as quickly and safely as possible.