Buenos Aires Herald 
Almost 250 Argentine citizens landed in Buenos Aires province on Sunday morning in the first repatriation flight from Israel. Most of the evacuees are secondary school students who were in Israel on an exchange program.
After the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, the Argentine government kicked off an evacuation plan called Regreso Seguro (Safe Return) last Tuesday, carried out by the Foreign and Defense ministries along with the Armed Forces.
All Argentine nationals who register can evacuate from Tel Aviv to Rome in an Air Force plane and be brought back to Argentina in a national airline Aerolíneas Argentinas flight. Around 1,500 citizens have requested repatriation so far, according to the Foreign Ministry.
On Saturday night, the first Aerolíneas Argentinas repatriation flight took off from Rome and landed at the Ministro Pistarini (better known as Ezeiza) airport on Sunday morning with 244 evacuees.
The Air Force planes — a Hércules C-130 and a Boeing 737 — have made four trips from Tel Aviv to Rome already, with each flight carrying hundreds of people.
“We are feeling immense joy, just in time to brighten up my Mothers’ Day,” Marina Ovie, mother of a 15-year-old boy, told news agency Télam as she waited for her son to step off the plane.
Ezequiel Gorenstein, an 18-year-old student who was in Israel from March 8 and was supposed to stay until November 12, told Télam that when the first alarm rang out he had no bunker to hide in. “It was a very ugly situation, but I am happy to be in Argentina now.”
“It’s an ambiguous feeling,” Gorenstein’s mother, Deborah, said. “We have a right to live in peace, and for [kids] to feel safe. I am happy that he’s here, he’s good and safe. But really, it was awful.”
Pablo Ceriani, president of Aerolíneas Argentinas, said that the company “is at the service of all Argentines that may need it,” and compared the situation to the special repatriation flights the company did during the harshest months of the COVID-19 pandemic to bring back nationals who were stranded in other countries, as well as bringing vaccines and medical supplies into the country.
“Our homeland embraces you,” President Alberto Fernández posted on X, along with a video of the evacuees meeting their families. “Amid so much pain, Argentina welcomes and accompanies you.”
Hamas launched the biggest attack on Israel in years on October 7, firing rockets from Gaza and sending gunmen into Israel on foot. Israel responded by bombarding Gaza, and formally declared war the next day. Israel also imposed a total blockade of Gaza.
Around one million Palestinians left their homes in the Gaza strip following a warning from Israel about planned intensified air strikes and told residents to move south towards the border with Egypt, according to Reuters.
Over 1,400 Israelis and 2,450 Palestinians have been killed in bombings by Hamas and the Israel Defense Forces attacks, respectively, since the conflict broke out.
Assistance for Argentines in Israel
To board the emergency evacuation flights, Argentines in Israel have to enter a register that the Argentine consulate in Tel Aviv is compiling.
To be included, they must email [email protected] with their full name, national identity document (DNI) number, a phone number, their current location, a relative’s contact information, medical conditions (if any) and any other relevant information, the Foreign Ministry said.
For urgent assistance, they should call the Tel Aviv consulate’s emergency number: +972 52 597 8359.
The Foreign Ministry has also launched a national phone line for people who need information or wish to inform the authorities about Argentine relatives who are currently in Israel and need assistance. They should call or send a WhatsApp message to +54 9 1140411522.
— with information from Télam and Reuters.
