Egypt would assist in the evacuation of “about 7,000” foreigners and dual nationals from the war-torn Gaza Strip, the foreign ministry said in a statement 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 conference 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 through the Rafah crossing.”
According to Khairat, “about 7,000” persons representing “more than 60” nations were involved.
The message provided no specifics or a timetable for the Egyptian evacuation plan.
According to Egyptian officials, 76 wounded Palestinians and 335 foreign passport holders entered Egypt on Wednesday.
According to their governments, 31 Austrians, four Italians, five French nationals, and several Germans crossed the border.
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller confirmed that US citizens had crossed from Gaza but declined to provide a figure.
According to the Hamas-run health ministry, Israeli bombardment has killed over 8,800 individuals in Gaza, two-thirds of whom are women and children, since the conflict started following the October 7 attacks, which Israeli officials say killed 1,400 people.