RIO DE JANEIRO, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Brazil will help evacuate South Americans stranded in the Middle East by the Gaza crisis, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva announced Tuesday.

During his weekly program "Talk with the President," Lula said he has spoken with Air Force commander Lieutenant Brigadier Marcelo Kanitz Damasceno about the operation to bring home residents from other parts of South America trapped by the crisis.

"I told Damasceno: if when we finish bringing back Brazilians, there are men and women from Latin America, from South America, who cannot return to our continent, we will be supportive and we will bring those people back also. That is Brazil's role in the world," he said.

To date, the Brazilian Air Force has brought back to Brazil 1,413 people and 53 pets aboard eight flights.

Some 30 Brazilians in the Gaza Strip, who must leave the area through the border with Egypt, are still waiting to be rescued, but the operation has been delayed due to an "impasse" between the authorities.

Lula said he will continue to press for a negotiated end to the crisis.