Israel Conducts Secret Operation to Evacuate Citizens Trapped in Ethiopia

The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the successful evacuation of a group of Israeli citizens who were stranded in northern Ethiopia due to escalating security concerns. The operation, described as secret, extracted the individuals from a dangerous area and will transport them to the capital, Addis Ababa. Approximately 40 Israelis had been unable to leave two locations in northern Ethiopia for several days amid intensified fighting between federal government troops and local rebel forces. One group, comprising about 20 people, many over 65 years old, had been trapped in the city of Lalibela for five days. Roads out of the city were blocked, and flights in the region were temporarily suspended, making travel unsafe due to ongoing combat. The stranded Israelis, who maintained contact with a local agent and Israelis in Addis Ababa, lacked precise information on when they might be evacuated from Lalibela. Earlier reports indicated that dozens of foreign tourists, including around 20 Israelis and about 30 other foreigners, were blocked in the historic city of Lalibela in the Amhara province due to intense clashes between federal forces and Tigrayan rebels, preventing their departure.