“If there is an opportunity for Swedes to come out, I have nothing new to say about it right now,” he says.
TT: So far no Swedish citizen has during the arrangements that have been during the day?
— Not that I know of. The government is aware that the border crossing has been opened for certain groups. In the first stage, among other things, injured Palestinians are expected to be allowed to cross the border to receive treatment in Egypt, and then foreign citizens are expected to be allowed to pass.
Billström emphasizes that the Swedish government has stated several times that there is a recommendation against travel to Gaza since more than ten years ago.
– It also means that there is a responsibility for those who are in Gaza today, but we are of course following developments in Gaza and I am not ruling anything out at this point. When the Foreign Ministry becomes aware that Swedes can be given the opportunity to leave via the border via Egypt, we will contact Swedes in Gaza who have expressed a desire to leave.
What the contact with Swedes in Gaza looks like in detail, he does not want to go into.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs estimates that around 400 Swedes are in Gaza.