MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Brazilian Air Force flight to repatriate people from Gaza takes off

The return flight is due at Brasilia's air base on Dec. 23.

A Brazilian Air Force (FAB) KC-30 aircraft (the military version of the Airbus 330-200 passenger airliner), took off from Rio de Janeiro's Galeão Airport to bring back another batch group of nationals of the South American country who lived in the Gaza Strip, Agencia Brasil reported.

The mission, which is part of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's Voltando em Paz (“Returning in Peace”) operation, is headed for Cairo's International Airport in Egypt carrying six tons of humanitarian supplies, including water purifiers.

It will be the third flight to repatriate Brazilians from Gaza alone since the beginning of the Israeli offensive. There was no information on the number of people to be flown back to Brazil, Agencia Brasil also said.

The return flight is due at Brasilia's air base on Dec. 23.

Since the start of the operation, 1,525 people (1,413 from Israel, 80 from Gaza, and 32 from the West Bank) have been repatriated on 11 flights.

(Source: Agencia Brasil)