The Palestinian general consul in Alexandria Jamaal Al-Jamal said Tuesday that over 2,000 Palestinians have returned to the Gaza Strip from Libya as a consequence of the unrest there.

President Mahmoud Abbas has given instructions to the relevant authorities to facilitate the return of others, he said, adding that Palestinian embassies in Tripoli, Alexandria and Cairo were coordinating with each other to assist their return.

The Palestinian consulate in Alexandria has appointed a team to coordinate the arrival of passengers at the Kerem Shalom and Rafah crossings and the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has offered health care and meals to assist those fleeing the violence.

Al-Jamal said he was grateful for the assistance of the UN and other humanitarian organizations and thanked the Egyptian authorities for helping coordinate the return of Palestinians to Gaza.

Over 34,000 Palestinian families live in Libya, numbering around 150,000 people. Some of those fleeing the violence have visas which permit them to return to their jobs in Libya.

(Ma’an News)