About 20 Israelis unable to leave Lalibela in Ethiopia — Jerusalem Post
About 20 Israeli citizens are unable to leave the city of Lalibela in the Amhara region of northern Ethiopia due to renewed fighting between armed groups and the Ethiopian army. This was reported by The Jerusalem Post, citing Israeli public broadcaster KAN News.
Transport links with the city disrupted
According to people in Lalibela, air service in the area has been suspended, while roads to Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, have been blocked due to intensified fighting. One Israeli citizen told KAN News that gunfire and explosions can be heard regularly from the outskirts of the city.
In Lalibela itself, the situation is relatively calm for now, he said: people can move around the city, have food supplies and a safe place to spend the night. At the same time, the city has lost electricity, so phones are being charged from generators, while cash supplies are dwindling. The group includes elderly people who may need medical assistance.
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Israeli Foreign Ministry seeks departure options
Israel’s Foreign Ministry said it is monitoring the situation involving the country’s citizens in areas where the security situation has deteriorated in northern Ethiopia and is maintaining contact with groups of people and the relevant parties. The ministry also said that, together with local partners, it is considering options for leaving the area, taking into account developments and the security situation.
On Friday, Israel’s Foreign Ministry urged citizens not to travel to the Tigray region until further notice. Those already in the region were advised to limit movement unless necessary, avoid mass gatherings, demonstrations, military facilities and dangerous areas, and follow the instructions of local authorities. Ethiopian Airlines suspended flights in the region, including to the airports of Mekelle, Axum and Shire.
Separately, an Ethiopian-Israeli resident of the city of Lod told Walla that he had tried to contact relatives in the city of Gondar in the Amhara region. According to him, city residents live in fear, their movement is restricted, and their homes are coming under fire.
