Evacuation of Albanians from Israel: MEPJ provides partial clarification, many questions remain unanswered

Suela Gjidede

Following the escalation of tensions between Israel and Iran, there were also Albanian citizens who remained trapped in the conflict zone.

The Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs announced that they have already been evacuated through a successful operation. 

In an attempt to shed light on the steps taken by the Albanian authorities to evacuate them, we requested information from the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. The response we received raises more questions than it provides clarification.

The ministry states that the operation began immediately after the outbreak of the conflict and was carried out "as quickly as possible". However, no clear dates, exact numbers of citizens involved, or a logistical map of the operations are provided.
Cooperation between the Albanian embassies in Tel Aviv and Cairo is mentioned, but it remains unclear how this cooperation worked in practice. What were the communication channels, or who made the final decisions?

The ministry says that safety instructions have been shared with citizens by the Embassy in Tel Aviv, but does not mention whether organized transportation, escort by authorities, or assistance for citizens in difficult conditions has been provided.

Two groups of citizens were successfully evacuated within 9 days, according to the Ministry, but data is lacking on the total number of citizens who sought help and how many still remain in the area.

Minister Hasani provides more details on social media, while the MEPJ officially remains vague. 

While the official response from the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs remains general and without many concrete details, Foreign Minister Igli Hasani has been clearer in a public statement on social media.

He announced that four Albanian citizens have been successfully evacuated from Israel - two through Jordan and two others through Egypt - and that the operation was carried out in cooperation with Israeli, Jordanian, Egyptian authorities and the Austrian embassy in Tel Aviv.

Hasani emphasizes that the citizens were in Israel for professional and family reasons, and that Albanian institutions are following up on any new case that requires assistance with priority.

This statement sheds more light on the evacuation routes followed and the international actors involved, but it does not replace the need for a more detailed institutional report from the MEPJ.