Hamas attack on Israel: how the “special flight” intended to repatriate “the most vulnerable” French people is organized

Eight dead and 20 missing, some of whom “were very probably kidnapped” according to the Quai d’Orsay. This is the provisional toll of victims of French nationality, on the fifth day of the Hamas attack against Israel. Among the hostages, little Eitan, 12 years old, kidnapped on a motorbike with his father. On Tuesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the establishment of a “special flight” intended for the repatriation of “the most vulnerable” French or French Israelis still present there.

This initiative was announced on Tuesday by Minister Catherine Colonna, who mentioned “the establishment of a special flight by Air France this Thursday as part of an operation coordinated by the crisis center” at the Quai d'Orsay. This “special flight” is intended “for compatriots who wish it, and have not been able to find available seats on the commercial flights still open in Tel Aviv (...) while waiting for the resumption of regular flights from Air France,” specifies the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It will depart from Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv at 4:40 p.m. for an arrival at 8:35 p.m. at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris.

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The ministry emphasizes that this flight is intended for “vulnerable people”, in particular “unaccompanied minors and pregnant women”. or any person “with a disability or in a medical situation presenting a particular emergency”. French people who would like to be evacuated must report before 3 p.m. (Tel Aviv time) this Wednesday, October 11, to the email address indicated on the ministry's website.

Like almost all companies linked to Israel, Air France - which until then operated two round trips per day between Charles-de-Gaulle and Tel-Aviv and three flights per week between Lyon and the Israeli capital - and its cheap subsidiary Transavia suspended their commercial flight service from Saturday. However, some flights continued, with the Israeli company El Al maintaining its activity. A few foreigners, including French people, were undoubtedly able to embark there to leave Israel. But a large number of them are still there. In 2022, the Quai d'Orsay recorded 57,000 French nationals in Israel.

Thousands of foreigners are stranded in Israel and the Palestinian territories and France is not the only one to organize repatriation operations. Argentina has already started these operations with the dispatch of a military plane. Nigeria also repatriated 310 of its nationals who were in Jordan after leaving Israel by road. Switzerland and Spain also chartered a special flight on Tuesday from Tel Aviv. Brazil, South Korea and Canada plan to do the same in the coming days.