Tokyo: Sixty Japanese nationals and family members with foreign nationality returned to Japan from Israel, which is in conflict with Palestinian militant group Hamas, on board an Air Self-Defense Force aircraft early Saturday.

The KC-767 aerial refueling and transport aircraft carrying the evacuees arrived at Tokyo International Airport at Haneda. Also aboard the plane were 18 South Koreans and a family member with foreign nationality.

This was the first airlifting of Japanese nationals using a Self-Defense Forces plane for evacuation from Israel or Palestine since the latest Israel-Hamas fighting broke out.

The KC-767 plane arrived in Israel Thursday night local time from Jordan, where it had been on standby. It then flew back to Japan via Jordan.

On Oct. 14, eight Japanese nationals left Israel aboard a plane chartered by the Japanese government. On the same day, 51 Japanese people evacuated on board a South Korean military aircraft.

This time, the Japanese government asked the South Korean side whether it wanted to evacuate its citizens aboard the ASDF KC-767, saying that vacant seats were available on the plane.

This was the seventh evacuation of Japanese nationals using an SDF aircraft. The last such flight was offered in April, for evacuation from Sudan.

According to the Japanese Foreign Ministry, a total of about 800 Japanese nationals were in Israel and Palestine as of Friday.

Israel is reportedly preparing a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip, which is effectively controlled by Hamas.

In preparation for a further deterioration in the local situation, an ASDF C-2 transport plane is currently on standby in Jordan, which borders Israel, and another in Djibouti, where the SDF has a base.

Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said at a press conference Friday, “We will do our best to ensure the safety of Japanese nationals and others by maintaining a necessary standby system.”

JIJI Press