Malaga couple trapped in Israel after Hamas terror attack are flown out on Portuguese military plane

Cristina Márquez and Francisco Javier, the couple from Malaga who were stranded in Israel, are already on their way back to Spain.

The pair's flight out from Tel Aviv was cancelled last Sunday 7 October as Ben Gurion airport came under threat by Palestinian terrorist group Hamas. Rockets rained down as Israel was attacked on the same day it celebrated Sukkot, the festival of joy on Saturday.

The couple were among 70 people evacuated early this Tuesday morning in a military plane chartered by the Portuguese government, according to Márquez who shared a video via social media.

She made the video at Cyprus airport, where the Portuguese plane made a stopover before flying to Lisbon, from the Portuguese capital the Malaga couple are due to return to Spain in the next few hours on 10 October.

"This morning we were evacuated thanks to the work and efforts of the Spanish embassy in Tel Aviv. The embassy team, made up of the ambassador, Ana Salomón, Nico Díaz, and the consul general, Fernando López de Castro, made the arrangements for us to be evacuated in a Portuguese military plane that was chartered to repatriate 70 of their compatriots. We are at the airport in Cyprus, where we have received an exquisite welcome. We are in a rest area waiting to fly to Lisbon," Márquez said.

The Malaga native, who is a police officer in Marbella, also thanked friends, family and colleagues for their support: "We are eternally grateful for your love and support. And we wish the people who have stayed behind in Israel the best of luck".

SUR managed to speak with Cristina Márquez on Sunday afternoon when she recounted their experiences after Hamas first launched its attack on Israel.