People conduct rescue work among residential buildings destroyed in an Israeli strike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on Tuesday. — XINHUA/VNA Photo

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam on Thursday expressed strong condemnation of violence aimed at civilians, humanitarian personnel, journalists and critical infrastructure in the escalating conflict in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Hamas.

Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Phạm Thu Hằng, during the press briefing in Hà Nội, stated that in the spirit of the United Nations General Assembly Resolution ES-10/21, adopted in the tenth emergency special session of the assembly on October 27, 2023, "we call for immediate ceasefire from all parties, compliance with international law as well as humanitarian law, the protection of civilians and infrastructure, the establishment of humanitarian corridors, and the immediate release of all hostages."

The spokesperson also remarked that Việt Nam welcomes and supports efforts by the international community to promote restraint by all sides, dialogues, the resolution of disputes through peaceful means, and in accordance with international law, as well as related resolutions by the United Nations to achieve a "fair, satisfactory and long term solution for the peace process in the Middle East."

So far, according to Gaza's health authorities, over 10,000 people (including thousands of children) have been killed in Israel's retaliation operations after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7 and killed 1,400 people, and took hundreds as hostages.

Regarding citizen protection affairs, Hằng said amid complicated developments in the region, on October 16, the foreign ministry had advised that Vietnamese citizens in Israel should consider leaving the conflict-affected areas of their own volition.

So far, 13 Vietnamese students have returned safely to Việt Nam, on commercial flights or on humanitarian flights by Vietnamese partners that also have citizens in Israel.

Acting on the directions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Vietnamese embassy in Israel devised and deployed on-site measures to ensure citizen protection, maintaining contact with the citizens to make recommendations and support them in leaving Israel for another safer place or returning to Việt Nam, Hằng said.

"For the citizens who still remained in Israel, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs continues to recommend that they leave," she commented.

Any citizen in need of any assistance or more information on the citizen protection measures being undertaken is urged to call the hotline of the Vietnamese embassy in Israel as well as the citizen protection hotline of the Consular Department.

Myanmar scam casinos

Asked for updates on the Vietnamese citizens rescued by Myanmar authorities from scam casinos in the northern part of the country, Hằng said so far, 166 Vietnamese citizens have been identified among the foreigners released in this operation and these people have been transported to a safer area near the border with China.

She said there have been certain difficulties in assessing the situation and providing support for these citizens as there have been conflicts in this region and Kayin State.

In recent days, acting on the guidance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the citizen protection department has convened meetings with the Embassy of Việt Nam in Myanmar, other Vietnamese representative agencies in China on the citizen protection works in this area, the spokesperson told the media.

"The Vietnamese embassy in Myanmar is continuing to work closely with local authorities, with Vietnamese representative agencies in China, in order to ready the citizen protection measures to urgently investigate, verify information to complete our necessary procedures in order to assist and repatriate the citizens as soon as possible," she noted.

"At the same time, we've also requested that Myanmar has safety measures in place to ensure the accommodations for the Vietnamese citizens."

On the occasion, the spokesperson advised that unless absolutely necessary, Vietnamese citizens should not or avoid coming to Kayin regions of Myanmar, and if they are already in this region, they should have options ready to evacuate themselves and their assets to a third country or back to Việt Nam.

Vietnamese citizens should also continue to follow the information and news from the local authorities or from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including the Consular Department and the Vietnamese Embassy in Myanmar.

In case of emergencies, they can contact the hotline of the embassy in Myanmar. — VNS