Lebanese Greek: "What is happening is inhumane"

Enzo Bassilla. Mechanical Engineering student at the American University of Beirut. 19 years old. He is one of 22 Greeks evacuated from Lebanon on Thursday, along with 38 Cypriots.

The Greek C-130 aircraft carrying out the first rescue mission landed on Greek soil at the Elefsina base at approximately 16:15. Enzo spoke to us from the bus that took him and the 21 people with him to Greece from Elefsina to the Foreign Ministry to be picked up by their relatives.

“We heard explosions, saw explosions, buildings collapsed. So many people died without us seeing them die. We saw them being taken away by ambulances. We saw the destruction and that’s why we decided to leave,” – he says.

I ask if he wants to return to Lebanon. But he never wanted to leave. He was forced. “It will depend on the situation. Yes, I want to go back. I want to go back to my university,” he says.

What is happening in Lebanon is inhumane, he notes. speaking about the situation in Lebanon. It's heartbreaking. The Lebanese are good people and they don't deserve what they are going through. We end our conversation while they are still on the bus and Enzo Bassilla says that “Many people may leave Lebanon. My departure is not permanent, and I hope that those who leave will return.”

Diplomatic sources noted that there were several children on the flight, as well as people who are suffering and exhausted by what they have been through recently and are seeking peace.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of National Defense are on standby. It is worth noting that a diplomat, an employee of the crisis management department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and 12 special operations forces personnel took part in the operation to rescue Greeks and Cypriots from Lebanon.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “The repatriation operation of 60 citizens of the Hellenic Republic and the Republic of Cyprus, and members of their families, was successfully completed today, Thursday, October 3.” It is noted that “Our embassy in Beirut remains fully prepared to provide all possible consular assistance to Greeks living in Lebanon.”

The crisis management department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs played a key role in organizing the evacuation of the Greeks. Lebanese Greeks are expected to arrive on commercial flights in the coming days and an operation similar to Thursday's will be repeated if necessary, senior diplomatic sources said.

The evacuees were welcomed to Elefsina by the Chief of the General Staff, General Dimitris Khoupis, who reportedly played a special role in the organization and successful outcome of the operation. At 13:00 the Minister of National Defense noted in his message on the X website: “I was informed in real time at the NDFC by the Chief of General Staff, General Dimitris Houpis, about the successful outcome of the operation to evacuate 38 citizens of the Republic of Cyprus and 22 citizens of the Hellenic Republic from Beirut, and the entry of an Air Force C-130 aircraft into the Nicosia FIR. Congratulations to everyone who contributed to the operation.”

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