Hamas’s terrorist attack on Israel: Bulgarian PM held meeting of anti-terrorism HQ
There is no increased threat of terrorist acts in Bulgaria as a result of hostilities between Israel and the Palestinian territories, Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov said on October 8 after holding a meeting of the national anti-terrorism centre.
Security has been increased only at certain sites that are considered more risky – airports, railway stations, synagogues, the embassy of the State of Israel, places where there are Jewish communities or Israeli tourists.
In relation to all other institutions, the level of danger is classified in the lowest category, Denkov said.
He was speaking a day after Hamas launched a large-scale terrorist attack on Israel.
“The situation is changing very quickly,” Denkov said.
“There is a serious danger of the development of the conflict and it escalating, which in the medium term may lead to an increase in refugee flows, to risks related to the supply of raw materials, and hence to an increase in the prices of these raw materials,” he said.
The national anti-terrorism centre will meet every day, if necessary, twice a day, Denkov said.
On the afternoon of October 8, a Bulgarian government aircraft from Tel Aviv arrived in Sofia, carrying a group of Bulgarians who had asked to be repatriated. A second flight was scheduled for the evening of October 8.
Transport Minister Georgi Gvozdeikov said that the team of the embassy in Israel was gathering people who wanted to come home. Other EU member states had expressed a desire for the Bulgarian aircraft to transport their citizens to Sofia as well, he said.
Currently, there are no preparations for the evacuation of the employees of the Bulgarian embassy in Tel Aviv. They are available at the embassy and are working to safely transport all other Bulgarian citizens from the country.
Bulgaria’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Maria Gabriel said on X (twitter.com) on October 8 that she had spoken to her Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen and expressed Bulgaria’s solidarity with the people of Israel.
“We condemn once again the horrific attacks carried out against Israel. My thoughts are with the families of the victims and the wounded. Israel has the right to defend itself in line with international law,” Gabriel said.
(Photo: government.bg)
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