MOSCOW, Russia -- Russia has evacuated dozens of citizen from the Gaza strip, the country's emergency services said Sunday, after Moscow denounced the long waiting time this week.
The foreign ministry had said Thursday it was "shocked" by Israeli officials saying it could take up to two weeks to evacuate Russian citizen -- with around 500 Russians wanting to leave.
"Seventy citizen crossed the Rafah crossing," the Russian emergency services said, referring to the checkpoint with Egypt that reopened November 1 to allow for the evacuation of foreigners and dual nationals.
The ministry published footage of staff welcoming evacuees, some of them crying, and providing them with basic necessities.
Israel's envoy to Moscow told Russian state media this week that with 500-600 people leaving each day, and 7,000 waiting to be evacuated, it could take two weeks to get Russian citizens out of Gaza.
Moscow reacted furiously.
The war started over a month ago when Hamas militants crossed into Israel and killed about 1,400 people, mainly civilians, and seized about 240 hostages, according to Israeli officials.
Israel retaliated with a relentless bombardment and ground invasion of the Gaza Strip that, according to the Hamas-run Palestinian territory's health ministry, has killed more than 11,000 people.