Countries Scramble To Evacuate Nationals as Fighting Continues In Israel and Gaza

As the fighting continues in Gaza and Israel, countries are trying to get their nationals out. A plane from Tel Aviv to Serbia landed today, and the Serbian embassy says another flight is scheduled.

Romania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs said around 800 people had been bought home from Israel, with more to come.

Thailand’s government said they are preparing emergency teams and planes to rescue nationals in Israel. Flights from Kazakhstan are also being readied, according to its foreign ministry.

This morning Poland confirmed the first plane had landed back in the country from Israel with civilians on board.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military says the surprise coordinated assault launched by Hamas feels like the September 2001 attack on the United State.

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Israel is still fighting Palestinian militants in multiple places near the Gaza border, two days after the attack began. And it says fighters may be still be getting into Israel from the enclave.

More than 700 people have been killed in Israel since Hamas launched its attacks on Saturday morning, including 260 at a Music Festival.

And almost 500 have died in Gaza, after Israel launched massive retaliatory air strikes.

Russia says there is a “high risk” of a third party entering the ongoing fighting after an announcement from the Pentagon it was moving warships and aircraft carriers closer to Israel.

“The risk of third forces becoming involved in this conflict is high. It is very important to find ways as soon as possible to move towards some kind of negotiation process,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by the local TASS news agency.

The United States is sending multiple military ships and aircraft closer to Israel, in a deliberate to show of force to its closest ally in the region, said Al Jazeera’s John Hendren, who is reporting from Washington, DC.