Brazil to send plane to get citizens out of Lebanon

Jul 20, 2006, 20:29 GMT

Brasilia - Brazil will send a plane to Turkey to help evacuate its citizens from Lebanon, the Brazilian defence minister said Thursday.

The 160-seat plane will depart Friday from Brasilia, Waldyr Pires said. Brazilian diplomats will see to it that citizens make their way to Turkey, from where the plane will return to Brazil, he said.

Foreign Minister Celso Amorim cancelled Thursday a trip to a regional trade summit in Argentina to coordinate the rescue operation.

Amorim requested the cooperation of the Israeli ambassador in Brazil, Tzipora Rimon, asking for guarantees that the road convoys with Brazilian citizens will not be attacked.

Ambassador Rimon said her country 'will make every effort to ensure the peaceful exit of Brazilian citizens', but said their safety also depends on the Hezbollah militia.

Israeli attacks in Lebanon have so far caused the deaths of seven Brazilian citizens, among them three children.

Brazilian authorities say some 8,000 citizens currently live in Lebanon, although other sources put the figure as high as 70,000.

More than 100 Brazilians were evacuated from Lebanon last week.