November 1, 2023 6:00 AM EDT
Some foreign-passport holders began crossing from Gaza into Egypt, the first such group since around the start of the Israel-Hamas war last month, according to footage aired by Arab TV channels.
Images showed crowds of people carrying baggage assembled around the gates at the Rafah border point. Militant group 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.
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Ambulances were also seen entering the besieged enclave, with more than 80 wounded Palestinians set to be transferred for treatment in Egypt. Authorities have set up a field hospital in the North Sinai town of Sheikh Zuweid.
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 U.S. and the E.U.