Chile embraces 68 Palestinians evacuated amid Israeli genocide in Gaza
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Chile has evacuated 68 Palestinians from Gaza in a complex mission coordinated with international agencies.
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Chile's President Gabriel Boric gives a statement during a forum on democracy and multilateralism at La Moneda Palace in Santiago, Chile, Monday, July 21, 2025 (AP)
Chile has received a group of 68 Palestinians evacuated from the Gaza Strip, including 36 children and adolescents, amid the ongoing Israeli genocide. The evacuees arrived on Saturday, following a mission carried out on September 10.
President Gabriel Boric, a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause, hailed the group’s arrival as a major humanitarian effort. Writing on social media, he described the operation as “complex” and months in the making, aimed at saving lives endangered “due to the ongoing genocide.” He added, “Chile honors its national anthem.”
En un complejo operativo que tomó meses, hemos hoy recibido exitosamente a 68 ciudadanas y ciudadanos palestinos provenientes de Gaza, 36 de ellos niños, niñas y adolescentes, cuya vida corría peligro ante el genocidio en curso.
— Gabriel Boric Font (@GabrielBoric) September 13, 2025
Chile hace honor a su himno patrio. https://t.co/ziLEfzYMJJ
According to the Foreign Ministry, the evacuees are people “with close ties” to Chile. The mission was coordinated with several international organizations and reflected the country’s broader “commitment” to international humanitarian law.
Deputy Foreign Minister Gloria de la Fuente emphasized the exceptional nature of the mission, noting that “this is a very limited action” made possible only because “an opportunity window opened” amid the crisis in Gaza. She clarified that “for now, there is no planned situation of similar characteristics for the near future.”
Regarding the legal status of the arrivals, De la Fuente explained that they entered Chile with “a specific safe-conduct at the consular level” and that those who need it will have the option to apply for refugee status.
Wider context
Chile is home to the largest Palestinian community outside the Arab world, around 500,000 people, and has formally recognized Palestine as “a free, independent and sovereign” state in 2011 under the government of Sebastian Piñera.
In recent years, Santiago has stepped up its political stance on Gaza. Alongside Mexico and Colombia, Chile submitted a request to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in January 2024 to investigate potential war crimes.
By September, it had joined South Africa’s case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing "Israel" of genocide.
Boric has also pledged to strengthen measures against settlement activity. In his annual address to Congress in June, he announced plans to push legislation banning imports from Israeli settlements, voiced support for an arms embargo championed by Spain, and ordered the Defense Ministry to pursue urgent technological diversification.
