Reopening Rafah border, Egypt to evacuate 7,000 foreigners from Gaza

Egypt would assist in the evacuation of about 7,000 foreigners and dual nationals from the war-torn Gaza Strip, the foreign ministry said on Thursday.

After weeks of deadly conflict between Israel and Palestinian militants since the October 7 Hamas strikes, the Rafah border crossing reopened on Wednesday to allow people to leave Gaza

During a meeting with foreign diplomats, Egypt’s assistant foreign minister, Ismail Khairat, stated that the country was ready to facilitate the reception and evacuation of foreign citizens from Gaza via the Rafah crossing.

Khairat stated that about 7,000 persons from more than 60 countries were participating.

The message provided no specifics or a timeline for the Egyptian evacuation plan.

According to Egyptian officials, 76 wounded Palestinians and 335 foreign passport holders entered Egypt on Wednesday.

As per their governments, 31 Austrians, four Italians, five French nationals, and several Germans were among those who crossed.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller confirmed that US citizens had crossed from Gaza but declined to provide a figure.

Also read: Aid Organization Says There Are Still 20,000+ Injured Persons in Gaza