Egypt Announces Reopening of Rafah Border for the Evacuation of 7,000 Foreigners from Gaza

Cairo: Egypt’s Foreign Ministry has announced plans to assist in the evacuation of approximately 7,000 foreigners and dual nationals from the conflict-affected Gaza Strip.

After weeks of intense fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants, the Rafah border crossing was opened on Wednesday to allow people to leave Gaza.

Egypt’s Assistant Foreign Minister, Ismail Khairat, confirmed that they are preparing to facilitate this evacuation, which includes individuals from more than 60 different nationalities.

While specific details and a timeline for the evacuation were not provided, on Wednesday, 76 wounded Palestinians and 335 foreign passport holders successfully crossed into Egypt.

Notably, this group included citizens from Austria, Italy, France, Germany, and the United States.

The ongoing conflict in Gaza, which began after the October 7 attacks, has resulted in significant casualties, with Hamas reporting nearly 8,800 people killed, predominantly women and children, while Israeli officials estimate 1,400 casualties.