OPPOSITION Leader Joseph Lelang is urging Prime Minister James Marape to tell the country the exact number of PNG citizens still caught in the conflict between the Israelites and the Hamas militant group in the Gaza Strip.
He said PNG Immigration officers have confirmed that there are PNG students still caught in the warzone.
“I understand we have up to about 10-15 students of the Bahaii faith studying there and we need to know the contingency plans in place to evacuate our citizens out of the war-torn area,” Lelang said.
“We all know the Hamas group attacked not just Israelites but killed and took captive dozens of citizens from other countries as wel,l which resulted in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declaring war.”
He said this comes straight after PNG Government opened up an embassy in Jerusalem.
“Hamas claims Jerusalem is occupied territory and urged PNG to should reconsider its decision and move our embassy to Tel Aviv,” he said.
Lelang said as of 12pm last Wednesday, about 35 PNG citizens, who had visited holy sites last month safely arrived in Manila, Philippines and returned to the country the following day.
