Egypt will help evacuate around 7.000 foreign nationals from Gaza

Egypt will help remove "around 7.000" foreigners and dual nationals from the war-torn Gaza Strip, the Foreign Ministry said, with officials saying around 400 people were expected to cross on Thursday.

For the first time after weeks of deadly clashes between Israel and Palestinian militants, the Rafah border crossing opened on Wednesday to let people out of Gaza.

In a meeting with foreign diplomats, Deputy Foreign Minister Ismail Khairat said Egypt was preparing to "facilitate the reception and evacuation of foreign citizens from Gaza through the Rafah crossing," a ministry statement said.

"Four hundred people holding foreign passports are expected to cross today as well as 60 injured," an Egyptian official at the crossing told AFP, indicating the numbers could fluctuate throughout the day.

On the Palestinian side, Hisham Antoan, director of the Rafah crossing in Gaza, said that about 100 wounded and 400 foreigners, including US citizens, were expected to cross during the day.

The Egyptian official said a total of 361 foreigners entered Egypt on Wednesday, up slightly from the 335 figure given a day earlier.

Officials had initially said 76 wounded Palestinians were evacuated, but the official explained that the number included 46 patients and 30 people accompanying them.

Among the foreigners who crossed on Wednesday were 31 Austrians, four Italians, five French nationals and some Germans, their governments said.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said American citizens also passed through Gaza, but declined to give a number.

Source: KYPE