CAIRO: The Rafah border crossing, facilitating the evacuation of foreigners and injured Palestinians from Gaza to Egypt, reopened on Sunday. The first group of evacuees, including injured Palestinians seeking medical treatment and foreign nationals, arrived in Egypt, AFP news agency reported citing four Egyptian security sources.
The reopening of the Rafah crossing comes after a temporary suspension on Friday, primarily due to challenges in transporting injured Palestinians from northern Gaza. The initial group of evacuees includes several injured Palestinians receiving medical treatment and 80 foreign nationals and their dependents.
At least 80 aid trucks crossed from Egypt into Gaza by Sunday afternoon, as reported by AFP news agency. The resumption of evacuations is a part of ongoing efforts initiated on November 1 to evacuate foreign passport holders and Palestinians requiring urgent medical attention.
Gaza Evacuation Process Amid Israeli Bombardments
The evacuation process faced interruptions over the past week due to the impact of Israeli bombardments on or targeting medical convoys, causing temporary pauses in the evacuation operation.
Among the evacuees, Russian nationals have also begun leaving the Gaza Strip. Approximately 70 Russian passport holders crossed the Rafah crossing into Egypt, according to Russia’s emergencies ministry.
The Russian emergency services stated, “Seventy citizens crossed the Rafah crossing,” adding that Russian citizens would be transferred to Cairo and assisted with necessary paperwork.
