(Bloomberg) — Some foreign-passport holders and wounded Palestinians began crossing from Gaza into Egypt, the first such groups since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, according to footage aired by Arab TV channels.
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Images showed crowds of people carrying baggage assembled around the gates at the Rafah border point. Hamas, which controls the Palestinian territory, said earlier Wednesday it expected some foreigners and dual nationals to be allowed into Egypt. It published a list that included workers from the International Committee of the Red Cross and nationals from Australia, Austria, Jordan and Indonesia.
Ambulances crossed from Egypt into Gaza, then returned carrying some passengers, footage showed. More than 80 injured Palestinians were set to be treated in Egypt, with authorities in North Sinai preparing field hospitals, according to local media.
Read More: Egypt Is Courted on All Sides as Pivotal to Gaza Refugees’ Fate
Egypt, which has the only non-Israeli controlled crossing with Gaza, is a lifeline for crucial humanitarian aid for the territory’s 2.3 million residents. More than 8,500 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict, according to authorities in Hamas-run Gaza. Hamas is designated a terrorist organization by the US and the EU.
There were no indications if many more people would be allowed to leave Gaza. The US estimates it has 500-600 citizens in the enclave.
Read More: Egypt Says It’s Ready for Thousands of Aid Trucks to Enter Gaza
–With assistance from Mirette Magdy and Salma El Wardany.
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