Injured Palestinians and hundreds of foreign nationals have started crossing from Gaza into Egypt, officials and Egyptian media said, in the first sanctioned exodus from the besieged enclave in weeks. <\/p>\n
The official said dozens\u00a0are now on their way to Cairo, where some will catch flights back to their home countries. Among them are nationals of Austria, the United Kingdom, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Italy and Japan, the official said. <\/p>\n
At least two Americans have also entered Egypt, according to family members and aid groups. Several French citizens have also left Gaza, government officials said. <\/p>\n
All 22 international staff members of Doctors Without Borders have also left Gaza, with a new medical team ready to enter the Palestinian enclave \u201cas the situation allows,\u201d the charity said Wednesday. <\/p>\n
The injured Palestinians and dual nationals are the first non-hostages allowed out of the enclave since Israel\u2019s latest war with Hamas began three weeks ago, representing a significant breakthrough following weeks of Israeli airstrikes across the densely populated strip that have killed thousands and sparked a humanitarian crisis. <\/p>\n
According to the Egyptian official, 491\u00a0foreign nationals were registered to arrive in Egypt today, but the remaining 130 either didn\u2019t make it to the border crossing or refused to cross without their families, whose names were not registered on the list. <\/p>\n
Their exit follows a deal brokered by Qatar between Israel, Hamas and Egypt, in coordination with the US, that would allow for the release of foreign nationals and critically injured civilians from Gaza, according to sources familiar with the talks. <\/p>\n
The agreement is separate from any hostage negotiations, the source added. <\/p>\n
US President Joe Biden said the opening of Rafah came after \u201cintense and urgent American diplomacy with our partners in the region,\u201d and as many as 1,000 more foreign nationals could depart soon. <\/p>\n
Ramona Okumura, a 71-year-old US citizen, crossed the border from Gaza into Egypt early this morning, her nephew, Nicholas Pang, said. Okumura, a Seattle resident, is a prosthetics expert who was making prosthetics for Gazan children on October 7\u00a0and had been staying in a UN compound. <\/p>\n
\u201cAcross Palestine border on shuttle to Egyptian border,\u201d she texted her brother at 4.a.m. local time. <\/p>\n
Eventually, US officials believe more than 5,000 foreign nationals could ultimately be allowed to leave Gaza for Egypt as part of the deal announced Wednesday, with one senior US official saying the total could be around 7,000 people.\u00a0But the official stressed that that number is far from exact, and officials have been emphasizing how fluid the situation on the ground is. <\/p>\n
Approximately 400 American citizens plus their family members \u2013 about 1,000 people total \u2013 had been stuck in Gaza and are seeking to leave, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday. <\/p>\n
Footage from the scene Wednesday showed a throng of ambulances at the Gaza side of the crossing, while images showed families waiting at the border with suitcases. <\/p>\n
British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said Wednesday that \u201cUK teams are ready to assist British nationals as soon as they are able to leave.\u201d <\/p>\n
More than two million people, half of them children, have been stranded inside the war-torn strip since Hamas\u2019 <\/strong>deadly October 7 terror attack prompted Israel to close its borders with Gaza and launch an aerial campaign targeting the militant group that controls the enclave. <\/p>\n Israel\u2019s bombardment of the densely inhabited strip has killed at least 8,700 people, according to figures released by the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah, drawn from sources in the Hamas-controlled enclave. Women, children and the elderly make up more than 70% of those killed, the ministry said on Monday. <\/p>\n The head of the United Nations\u2019 Palestinian refugee agency meanwhile crossed into Gaza to meet with staff; on his return to Egypt he described the scale of tragedy as \u201cunprecedented.\u201d <\/p>\n Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner general of the\u00a0United Nations Relief and Works Agency\u00a0for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), called the trip \u201cone of the saddest days in my humanitarian work\u201d as he described \u201cunsanitary living conditions\u201d and \u201cwater, food, medicine and fuel are running out\u201d in Gaza. <\/p>\n \u201cEveryone was just asking for water and food. Instead of being at school, learning, children were asking for a sip of water and a piece of bread. It was heart wrenching. Above all, people were asking for a ceasefire. They want this tragedy to end,\u201d he said in the statement. <\/p>\n The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) expanded its ground operations in Gaza on Friday, making the situation for\u00a0Palestinian civilians and foreign nationals\u00a0who remain trapped in Gaza\u00a0even more dangerous <\/strong>amid a marked increase in bombardments and fighting. <\/p>\n Israeli troops are also among the war\u2019s toll. On Wednesday, the IDF announced the death of another soldier, bringing the total number of Israeli soldiers to have died since the start of the ground incursion to 16. Of that figure, 15 were killed inside Gaza. <\/p>\n Israel\u2019s President Isaac Herzog urged Israelis to remain united, saying Hamas aims to \u201cincite hatred\u201d during an address delivered Wednesday evening. \u201cThe enemy seeks to incite hatred within us \u2013 between Jewish citizens and Arab citizens.. We must eradicate any incarnation of enmity, racism, and violence towards different groups within us,\u201d Herzog said. <\/p>\n Herzog also underscored the important role played by Arab citizens in Israel. \u201cRemember that there are dozens of Arab citizens here who paid with their lives in the terrible massacre, and as part of the security forces and the IDF. Remember the mutual responsibility as displayed by the overwhelming majority of the Arab society in Israel,\u201d Herzog said. <\/p>\n Negotiators have been working for weeks to evacuate foreign nationals out of Gaza, and allay Egypt\u2019s\u00a0concerns about refugees entering the country through the\u00a0Rafah crossing in southwestern Gaza. <\/p>\n Located in Egypt\u2019s north Sinai, the Rafah crossing is the sole border crossing between Gaza and Egypt. It falls along an 8-mile (12.8-kilometer) fence that separates Gaza from the Sinai desert. <\/p>\n With both border crossings between Gaza and Israel shut since Hamas\u2019 deadly October 7 terror attacks, Rafah is the territory\u2019s only entry point to the outside world. <\/p>\n But the crossing has been closed except for a few occasions when it opened to allow a limited amount of aid into Gaza. <\/p>\n Correction: This story has been updated to reflect Okumura\u2019s role.<\/em> <\/p>\n This is a breaking news story and will be updated.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n Injured Palestinians and hundreds of foreign nationals have started crossing from Gaza into Egypt, officials and Egyptian media said, in the first sanctioned exodus from the besieged enclave in weeks. The official said dozens\u00a0are now on their way to Cairo, where some will catch flights back to their home countries. 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