"Israel and its citizens find themselves in an unprecedented situation, and by visiting I wanted to reaffirm that Czechia fully stands behind Israel. The West is united in this support. The heinous acts of terrorism that have taken the lives of thousands of innocent people have no place in a democratic society. Israel is one of us, the attacks and kidnappings unleashed by Hamas terrorists are an attack on all of us," Lipavský said.

Minister Lipavský went to Israel directly from a ministerial meeting of the European Union and the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf in Oman. The head of Czech diplomacy discussed with the Israeli President and Foreign Minister the possible assistance of foreign partners and the consequences of the terrorist attacks on the country's operations.

"I also had the opportunity today to speak with the granddaughter of one of the kidnapped women. This testimony was shocking. The methods of these Hamas terrorists do not belong in a civilized world and I understand that Israel will not let them go unanswered. Israel has every right to defend itself against terrorists," the minister added.

The head of Czech diplomacy also transported more than 30 Czech citizens from Israel today who were stranded in the country after the weekend attacks. The Czech Embassy in Tel Aviv is in contact with the remaining Czech citizens to determine their interest in possible further repatriations. The MFA office is also in contact with other EU Member States for possible evacuation flights of other countries.