Over 900 people ask Russia for evacuation from Gaza - Putin

MOSCOW. Nov 22 (Interfax) - Over 900 people have asked Russia for evacuation from Gaza, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

"I think 900 people have asked us for evacuation from there [Gaza], including 639 Russian citizens and 271 family members," Putin said at a meeting with Russian government members on Wednesday.

Emergency Situations Minister Alexander Kurenkov said at the meeting 909 people had requested evacuation, among them 639 Russian citizens and 271 Palestinians, the family members of Russian citizens. The ministry has not received evacuation requests from citizens of other countries, he said.

"As of today, 484 Russian citizens and 87 members of their families, nationals of other states, have crossed through the Rafah checkpoint. Six flights by the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry have transported 553 people, including 259 children, to Domodedovo Airport," Kurenkov said.

Eighteen people are awaiting evacuation at a Cairo hotel, the minister said.

Nine people including six children were taken to a hospital upon their arrival in Russia, and one adult and one child were diagnosed with Covid-19, he said.

One hundred and sixteen people, including 44 children, left Domodedovo Airport for their residencies unaided, while the rest were taken to temporary accommodation facilities in the Moscow and Kaluga regions, he said.

"As of now, 313 people, including 161 children, are staying at temporary accommodation facilities," Kurenkov said.

He added that train tickets were rapidly provided to the evacuees wishing to live in other Russian regions. As many as 116 people including 48 children have been directed to 16 Russian regions since the beginning of the evacuation.