Greece evacuated 105 of its nationals from Israel early on Wednesday as tensions between Iran and Israel intensified, the Greek defence ministry said.
The evacuees were flown to Athens from Egypt’s Sharm El-Sheikh International Airport aboard C-130 and C-27 military transport aircraft operated by the Hellenic Air Force. The first aircraft landed at Elefsina Air Base, west of the capital, shortly before 4 a.m. (0100 GMT), followed by two more.
From there, four buses transported the evacuees to central Athens. The first bus arrived at Syntagma Square around 5:30 a.m., carrying 24 passengers. The final group reached the city centre by 7 a.m.
“We were constantly in shelters. I haven’t slept at all these past few days,” one evacuee told Kathimerini newspaper.
Another described the escape from Israel as harrowing. “It was very difficult. I had been in Israel for five months for work, but the last few days were hell,” he said. “Sirens went off four or five times a day. During the trip, sirens sounded again, and we had to get off the bus, lie on the ground and try to protect ourselves. At one point, I thought we wouldn’t make it out.”
“Twenty minutes later, we continued, and thankfully everything went well,” he added. “I hope this nightmare ends soon for those still living through it.”
A third evacuee expressed relief. “Joy and gratitude” was how he described his return to Greece, recalling the persistent sound of “sirens and rockets” during his time in Israel.