Argentina has kicked off an emergency evacuation plan for over 700 Argentine citizens in Israel who have asked to be repatriated after the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war. The number of Argentines confirmed dead has risen to seven, and 15 others were confirmed missing by Monday afternoon.

Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero said Tuesday morning that 713 Argentines in Israel have asked to be evacuated so far. “We are working to contact all of those who have sent e-mails or whose family members have sent emails for them,” he told Splendid radio station.

He said in a separate interview with Radio Delta that Argentina’s diplomatic corps was working with Argentines in Israel “in a context of great difficulty, because every so often, the alarms sound and contact is lost for hours.” 

Operation Regreso Seguro (Safe Return) was launched on Tuesday. Argentine nationals will be evacuated from Tel Aviv to Argentina via Rome, the General Staff of the Armed Forces wrote on X. The operation is being carried out by the Foreign Ministry and the Armed Forces.

Aircrafts from the Argentine Air Force and national airline Aerolíneas Argentinas will be in charge of the evacuation operation. The first airplane departed from the 1st Air Brigade at El Palomar Airport, Buenos Aires Province, at 10 a.m. on Tuesday.

The evacuees will board an Air Force plane in Tel Aviv with the assistance of the Argentine embassy in Israel, together with the embassy’s military defense attaché. From there, they will be taken to Italy, where the Argentine embassy has set up an “intermediate refuge area,” the General Staff of the Armed Forces said. Then, commercial Aerolíneas Argentinas planes will take them to Argentina.

Hamas launched the biggest attack on Israel in years on Saturday, firing rockets from Gaza and sending gunmen into Israel on foot. Israel responded by bombarding Gaza, and formally declared war on Sunday. 

Israeli authorities have confirmed that 1,000 people have been killed, while the health ministry in Gaza has confirmed 750 deaths on the Palestinian side by Tuesday morning. On Monday, the Israeli military announced a total blockade of Gaza. Meanwhile, Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist militant group that rules Gaza, has taken hostages and threatened to execute them if air strikes continue.

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.

Cafiero said Monday on X that since the conflict broke out on Saturday, he has been in constant contact with the Argentine embassy, the consulate and the Israeli government, providing assistance and information.

On Saturday, President Alberto Fernández ordered for security to be reinforced on all buildings related to the Jewish community in Argentina, and for the Military Police, Immigration, the Federal Intelligence Agency and Airport Security Police to be on alert at the national borders. The government also offered Israel humanitarian assistance.