Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu accompanied the first group of 93 Romanian and 36 Moldovan evacuees from the Gaza Strip via Cairo to Romania. The Romanian government issued a normative act to support the evacuated Romanians in reaching their extended families and integrating into the labor market.

Accompanied by Foreign Minister Luminita Odobescu, the Prime Minister met with Romanian and Moldovan evacuees who entered Egypt through the Rafah crossing point. “I was overwhelmed to see the joy and hope in the eyes of the children who escaped the hell of Gaza,” Prime Minister Ciolacu said. He expressed his gratitude to the authorities in Egypt, Israel, and Qatar for “their significant contribution to the safe evacuation of Romanian citizens.”

Prime Minister Ciolacu has actively worked with regional partners to evacuate its citizens and facilitate humanitarian aid to civilians in the Gaza Strip. Last month, the Prime Minister traveled to Israel to meet with his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, to convey Romania’s solidarity against Hamas terrorism following its horrific October 7 attack and safeguard Romanian nationals. He further called on the Israeli Prime Minister to open humanitarian corridors in Gaza and has since sent over 127 tons of essential goods to war-stricken Gazans. The Government of Romania is currently working with regional partners to evacuate Romanians and their families in the Gaza Strip who’ve already received approval to cross the Rafah border crossing. “Today, 129 Romanians were recovered, both Romanian citizens from Romania and the Republic of Moldova. We have families from Timiș, Olt, Bacău. Each family has its own story. The crisis cell at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will function until we recover the last Romanian who wants to come to Romania or the Republic of Moldova,” Prime Minister Ciolacu said.