Five Singaporeans safely evacuated from Israel on South Korean military transport plane

SINGAPORE: In a coordinated effort, five Singaporeans, along with other passengers, were successfully evacuated from Tel Aviv, Israel, aboard a South Korean military transport plane.

The operation, organized by the government of the Republic of Korea (ROK), aimed to evacuate its citizens from a potentially volatile situation.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) confirmed this development with The Straits Times (ST) and expressed gratitude to the ROK for facilitating the safe evacuation of Singaporean citizens.

The Singapore embassies in Tel Aviv and Seoul played a crucial role in ensuring the smooth departure of Singaporean families from Israel.

Furthermore, in light of the increasing tensions in the Israel-Hamas conflict, the MFA had also previously issued a cautionary advisory against travelling to the region.

Singaporeans safely evacuated from Israel

In a Facebook post on Saturday (Oct 14), ROK shared that the operation was carried out using an Air Force KC-330 multi-purpose plane.

Departing from South Korea on Oct 13, the plane arrived at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, subsequently transporting 163 South Koreans, 51 Japanese nationals, and the Singaporean families back to Seoul.

They were expected to land in Seoul on Saturday night.

This operation marked the fifth time the KC-330 has been deployed for foreign manpower transportation, underscoring its significance in humanitarian missions.

The plane’s previous missions include ‘Operation Miracle,’ which involved transporting local soldiers in Afghanistan during the Taliban occupation of Kabul, and ‘Operation Promise,’ which was dedicated to carrying local citizens during the Sudanese civil war.

This successful evacuation exemplifies the cooperation between nations during times of crisis, ensuring the safety of their citizens.