Egypt allows injured individuals and foreigners to exit Gaza through newly opened border crossing

In a significant development, ambulances have transported 76 seriously injured Palestinians from Gaza into Egypt, marking the first time since the war between Hamas and Israel began. Alongside the injured Palestinians, a group of 335 foreign passport holders, including British nationals, were also allowed to leave via the Rafah crossing. Gaza's borders have been closed since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7. It is expected that the Rafah crossing will continue to open for limited time periods to allow foreign nationals and injured civilians to leave. The lists of those allowed to cross will be agreed upon between Egypt and Israel, with relevant embassies being informed in advance. It is estimated that there are approximately 7,000 dual nationals in Gaza. US President Joe Biden commended the progress, stating that safe passage for wounded Palestinians and foreign nationals has begun. He emphasized that efforts are being made to evacuate Americans from Gaza as soon and as safely as possible. The UK Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, described the departure of the first group of British nationals as a crucial first step and confirmed that they are working with Egyptian and Israeli authorities to ensure that the crossing remains open for all British nationals to reach safety. Gaza's health ministry reported that over 8,700 people have been killed since the conflict began, and the UN has warned of dangerously low supplies of food, water, fuel, and medicine due to Israel's siege. The World Health Organization called for an immediate acceleration in the flow of medical aid permitted into Gaza, as many hospitals are not functioning, and the rest are overwhelmed by casualties.