European countries repatriate citizens from Israel

Governments and airlines in Europe are conducting emergency and regular flights from Israel to bring back European citizens who were in the country when Hamas fighters attacked.

Romania's Ministry of Foreign Affairs says nearly 600 Romanian citizens, including two groups of pilgrims, were repatriated from Israel on commercial flights over the weekend.

A Bulgarian government aircraft has been sent to Tel Aviv to evacuate Bulgarian citizens stranded in Israel. National carrier Bulgaria Air cancelled its flights to Tel Aviv. canceled its flights to Tel Aviv.

Bulgarian media say a total of 179 Bulgarians and one Croatian citizens were evacuated on the government-organized flights between Sunday night and early Monday.

Two Hungarian air force planes carrying 215 people from Israel arrived in Budapest early Monday, according to posts by Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto on Facebook.

Slovakia's government plans to send a government plane to Tel Aviv on Wednesday to pick up Slovak nationals.

A spokesman for Greece's government, Pavlos Marinakis, says 81 of the 149 Greeks registered as having been in Israel over the weekend returned to Athens on Sunday night.

Spain's Foreign Ministry has urged people not to travel to Israel. Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said he expected all Spaniards wishing to leave Israel will have been brought back by later Monday.