Argentina's Ambassador to Israel says 200 tourists stranded, 100,000 residents facing missile threat

Argentina’s ambassador in Israel says around 200 tourists have been stranded in the Middle Eastern nation as a result of the escalating crisis in the region.

Ambassador Axel Wahnish said that the closure of Israeli airspace due to missile attacks from Iran had prevented air departures. He said the Argentine Embassy is supporting them as best it can.

Wahnish said that between Saturday, when the conflict began, and Tuesday “around 650 missiles have already been fired at Israel,” meaning the population must remain constantly “alert to the sirens” and remain near bomb shelters.

The diplomat said he spends most of his time in the shelter at the ambassador’s residence. “We’re down here with my family and we’re even sleeping here because the warning sirens go off very frequently,” he told Radio Mitre in an interview.

“There are approximately 100,000 Argentines here and 200 Argentine tourists who have been stranded. Our priority today – that of the Argentine government, President Javier Milei, the Foreign Secretary [Pablo] Quirno and myself at the Embassy – is to support and provide security to all Argentines as far as possible,” he stressed.

“The reality is that this is a wartime situation and many are asking how to leave, because the airspace is closed,” said Wahnish.

He noted that the Israeli government’s recommendation is to remain close to a shelter at all times, although many people seeking to leave “are making a four-hour overland journey south” to cross into Egypt and catch a flight to another destination.

“It is not officially recommended because that overland journey carries a high risk” due to the possibility of bombardment, he said.

“If a siren sounds and you’re out in the open, you have to stop your car and run to a shelter,” he said.

He explained: “Each missile is between 14 and 19 metres long and carries between 600 and 1,100 kilograms of explosives,” and by way of comparison noted that “in the AMIA bombing” in Buenos Aires in 1994, “275 kilograms of explosives were used.” These “carry four times as much explosive material.”

The ambassador avoided predicting whether there would be any changes or cancellation to President Milei’s planned trip to Israel on April 20.

“I would like to believe that by that date we will be in a different situation, with greater stability. I don’t think this can continue much longer,” said the ambassador.

– TIMES/NA