The first group of Macedonian citizens evacuated from Israel arrived at Skopje International Airport. The group traveled overland to Egypt before returning home on the government aircraft from Sharm el-Sheikh.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade announced that the evacuation was successfully completed and that the ministry had coordinated the entire process in accordance with security procedures. Among the evacuees are citizens who had been living under constant threat — some had to seek shelter daily due to sirens and rocket attacks.

The government allocated nearly one million euros for organizing charter flights to evacuate Macedonian citizens from the Middle East. Due to the urgency of the situation, the procurement process was carried out via an expedited procedure. So far, 632 Macedonian citizens have requested evacuation information — 136 in Qatar and 477 in the UAE.

Diplomatic and consular missions of Macedonia in the region are working around the clock. The ministry confirmed that a contract has been signed with a company for organizing additional charter flights, with new evacuations expected in the coming days. Citizens wishing to return to their homeland can register through diplomatic and consular missions.

Some Macedonians living in nearby Middle Eastern countries report relative stability — those in Dubai stated that the situation in the city center is calm and explosion sounds are absent, unlike the previous weekend when tensions were significantly higher.