Egypt opened the Rafah border crossing on Wednesday, November 1, for foreign nationals to leave Gaza through Egypt. This is the first time such exit permits have been granted since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict. Also, a certain number of wounded Palestinian civilians have already entered Egypt to receive the necessary medical assistance, reports Politico.
Following an agreement between Israel, Egypt and Hamas, brokered by Qatar, a list of foreign passport holders who can pass through the border crossing point has been approved, the agency reports Reuters.
It includes people from Austria, Finland, Czech Republic, Great Britain, Japan, Bulgaria, Indonesia, Australia, Jordan and Finland.
There are about 500 people on the list who are scheduled to leave on Wednesday,
reports Reuters. A source familiar with the deal said it was not expected that all 500 would be able to leave on Wednesday.
Israel and Egypt have agreed on a list of foreign passport holders who will be allowed to leave Gaza and the relevant embassies have been informed, a Western official said.
UK Foreign Office website X wrote: “As far as we know, the border crossing will be open for controlled and limited periods of time to allow certain groups of foreigners and seriously injured people to leave,” adding that nationals “will be phased out over the coming days.”
Egypt has prepared a field hospital in Sheikhzuwayd, 15 km from Rafah, and plans to send some patients to the hospital there or to one of the nearby hospitals, depending on the severity of the patients’ condition.
As Egypt is wary of insecurity along the border with Gaza, only those who have received security clearance from Egyptian authorities are allowed to approach the Rafah border crossing, reports Reuters.
BNN already reported that after Hamas killed more than 1,400 people on October 7, Israel launched counterstrikes across the Gaza Strip. More than 8,500 people, including children, have died in the strikes, according to the Hamas-led Health Ministry.
Read more: VIDEO | Gaza hospital blast: Both Israel and Palestinian Islamic Jihad deny responsibility
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2023-11-01 13:48:02
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