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.
Eighty-one severely injured Palestinians were expected to enter Egypt on Wednesday, of which dozens have already arrived and are undergoing treatment in several hospitals across Egypt, according to a CNN journalist on the ground. A spokesperson for Egypt’s Ministry of Health told CNN, “they are arriving one by one.”
Three hundred and sixty-one foreign passport holders have also left Gaza through the Rafah border crossing, an Egyptian government official told CNN, speaking on condition of anonymity, because they are not authorized to speak to the media.
The official said 76 are 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.
Two American physicians have also entered Egypt, according to family members and aid groups. Several French citizens have also left Gaza, government officials said.
The injured Palestinians and dual nationals are the first non-hostages allowed out of the enclave since Israel’s 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.
According to the Egyptian official, 491 foreign nationals were registered to arrive in Egypt today, but the remaining 130 either didn’t make it to the border crossing or refused to cross without their families, whose names were not registered on the list.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.
The agreement is separate from any hostage negotiations, the source added.
Dr. 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 pediatric orthopedist who was making prosthetics for Gazan children on October 7 and had been staying in a UN compound.
“Across Palestine border on shuttle to Egyptian border,” she texted her brother at 4.a.m. local time.
Hamas is designated as a terrorist organization by several countries, including the United States, European Union, Israel, and others, due to its history of violence and attacks targeting civilians.
BalasHapusLook no further than a YouTube watch party! Enjoy YouTube with your friends, or loved ones, no matter where you are. Use live chats, videos, and calls to talk and have fun together. It's like having your own showtime parties, even if you're far away!