Brazil's rescue operation in Gaza, step by step

"My God, they were trapped. Thirty-five days. They came here for us to have lunch together and everyone ran to the beach." Hasan Rabee's words captioned a video he posted on Instagram late this Sunday afternoon from the city of Al-Arish, in Egypt. The images show girls and boys running on the sand towards the sea.

There, the group of 32 Brazilian citizens who are being repatriated by Brazil’s federal government stopped for lunch on their way from the Egyptian border with Gaza to the city of Cairo. There, they will have a night's rest before boarding a VC-2 belonging to the Brazilian presidency and heading to Brazil. Seventeen children, nine women and six men make up the group. Altogether, they are 22 Brazilians and ten Palestinians who are their family members.

A place was provided for them to shelter for about three weeks. They were transported to the border, and received financial assistance to cross it. A convoy was organized to take them to Cairo. The presidential plane has been in Cairo waiting for them for almost a month"

Minister of Foreign Affairs Mauro Vieira

The aircraft is expected to take off at around noon (local time). The Brazilian Air Force (Força Aérea Brasileira/FAB) estimates that the plane will stop in Rome, Italy, and then in Las Palmas, Spain, as well as at the Recife Air Base, in Brazil, before landing in Brasília.

"I would like to mention that the group received full support from our representation in Ramallah. A place was provided for them to shelter for about three weeks. They were transported to the border, and received financial assistance to cross it. A convoy was organized to take them to Cairo. The presidential plane has been in Cairo waiting for them for almost a month," said Brazil’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Mauro Vieira at a press conference this Sunday afternoon.

Vieira reported a series of initiatives that made up part of the routine of the Brazilian Representation in Ramallah during this period. The team led by Ambassador Alessandro Candeas monitored the situation daily.

At the beginning of the conflict, part of the group of Brazilians were housed at the Rosary Sisters School in northern Gaza. When the bombing increased, a chartered bus took 16 people to the south of Gaza, in Rafah, closer to the border. Another 18 who wanted to be repatriated were housed in Khan Yunis.

To avoid bombing, Brazilian diplomacy reported both the transport used for moving the group and respective addresses to the authorities in Gaza and Israel.

RESOURCES – In the daily life of this period of almost a month, Brazil’s federal government secured funds for both groups to have access to food, medicine, gas, drinking water and medical and psychological care over the phone –– the only measures possible in the conflict-ridden region.

We struggled to prevent the Brazilians from being affected by the humanitarian catastrophe that is plaguing Gaza. We rented houses and managed to send resources for food, water, gas and medicine in the precarious local market. We offered remote support from a psychologist and doctor. Unfortunately, the prospects are for rapid degradation of living and security conditions in Gaza"

Alessandro Candeas, Brazilian Representation Ambassador in Ramallah, West Bank

There was a lot of tension because of the lack of energy and even the internet –– but the Brazilian Representation managed to ensure daily communications with everyone, and to make sure that all interested parties would be able to cross the border. The official lists with the names of the Brazilian citizens had been with the authorities of Israel, Egypt and the Palestinian Authority for more than 20 days.

“We struggled to prevent the Brazilians from being affected by the humanitarian catastrophe that is plaguing Gaza. We rented houses and managed to send resources for food, water, gas and medicine in the precarious local market. We offered remote support from a psychologist and doctor. Unfortunately, the prospects are for rapid degradation of living and security conditions in Gaza," said Ambassador Candeas.

This worsening of conditions led Minister Mauro Vieira to emphasize, this Sunday, that the Brazilian federal government intends to once again seek measures by the UN Security Council towards humanitarian pauses and the end of hostilities in the region.

"President Lula continues to be extremely involved in resolving this issue. He has been speaking constantly with important heads of state; with the UN secretary general; and with the heads of state from the region –– in short, with all the important stakeholders. He intends to once again address it at the UN Security Council starting this week, so that a way can be found to suspend these hostilities and create a humanitarian pause that may bring relief to Palestinian civilians in Gaza,” said Vieira.