Israel will evacuate the families of Israeli diplomats stationed in Ethiopia due to the escalating civil war there, and all Israeli citizens currently in the country are advised to leave immediately, Israel’s Foreign Ministry announced on Saturday.
The diplomats themselves will remain in the country, and Israel is closely monitoring developments and is in touch with the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry and other countries who have missions in the African country, said the ministry.
Similarly, Labor Party Secretary-General Eran Hermoni said the “government must launch an emergency rescue operation to bring them [Ethiopian Jews] to Israel due to the deteriorating security situation in the country. The Israeli government cannot abandon our brethren in Ethiopia whose lives are in danger.”
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has called on the residents to arm themselves to defend their neighborhoods amid expected escalations.
This article first appeared in Israel Hayom.