Albania and Serbia have begun evacuating their citizens from Israel following the escalation of the conflict between Israel and Iran, while Kosovo has not confirmed any such evacuations.
Igli Hasani, Albania’s Minister for Europe and European Affairs, said five Albanian nationals who were in Israel for tourism and professional reasons have left the country via Egypt. “They are currently in Egypt in good health and are expected to return to Albania soon,” Hasani said in a Facebook post.
Albania severed diplomatic ties with Iran in 2022 after accusing Tehran of a cyberattack.
Serbian Prime Minister Goran Vesić did not specify the number of Serbian citizens evacuated but confirmed that some had been relocated. “The government is monitoring the situation and taking all necessary measures to protect Serbian citizens currently in Israel and Iran,” a government statement said.
Meanwhile, Kosovo’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond to inquiries about any evacuations.
Since June 13, when Israel launched airstrikes on Iranian military and nuclear facilities to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons, many countries have advised their citizens against traveling to Israel and Iran.
The Israeli strikes have killed at least 224 people in Iran, including senior military figures and nuclear scientists. Iran has retaliated by launching over 370 missiles and hundreds of drones at Israel, resulting in 24 reported deaths so far.
The Israeli military reported new Iranian missile launches on Tuesday, with explosions heard in northern Israel.