site.btaThree Buses Carrying Bulgarians and Foreign Nationals Have Left Israel - Deputy PM Karadjov

Three buses carrying Bulgarians and foreign nationals, including people from countries neighboring Bulgaria, have left Israel, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications Grozdan Karadjov told bTV on Tuesday. 

He added that these included all Bulgarians who had requested evacuation.  

In his words, the evacuees themselves have confirmed that they had crossed the Israeli border and were travelling along a route deemed safe, the Deputy Prime Minister added.

The government and Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov personally regard this operation as a top priority, Karadjov said.

During such rescue operations, it is best to limit the amount of publicly shared information, the Deputy Prime Minister noted. He declined to say when the evacuees are expected to return to Bulgaria.

Earlier in the day, the Foreign Ministry said that an operation was underway to evacuate Bulgarian nationals from Israel. The Ministry added that the operation was being carried out with the assistance of the Bulgarian Embassy in Tel Aviv.