Egypt will assist in the evacuation of around 7,000 foreigners and dual nationals from the Gaza Strip, according to a Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement on Thursday.
During a meeting with international diplomats stationed in Egypt, Assistant Foreign Minister Ismail Khairat shared that Egypt is preparing to “facilitate the reception and evacuation of foreign citizens from Gaza through the Rafah crossing”.
On Wednesday, Egypt’s Rafah border was opened for limited civilian entry, allowing around 335 foreign passport holders into Egypt alongside several seriously injured Palestinians.
This marked the first time that the border crossing has opened for entry since the start of the attacks on October 7th.
Trucks, numbering in the hundreds according to some news outlets, await entry into the Strip to bring in much-needed humanitarian aid such as food, clothing, and medicine to the besieged Palestinians. Egyptian news channel Al Qahera News recently shared that a total of 100 trucks are ready to cross into the war-ravaged Strip today.
Egypt’s Prime Minister visited the Rafah border crossing on Tuesday to check on the border situation.
“We reject the collective punishment policy that is ongoing on Gaza’s civilians. Since the beginning of this round of conflict, Egypt has been working and moving tirelessly, starting with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and all the state’s bodies, including the Civil Affairs Department,” the PM said, firmly rejecting any plans to forcibly displace Palestinians of Gaza to North Sinai.
Wednesday’s evacuations followed several orders from foreign governments to recall ambassadors from Israel – including Jordan, Colombia, and Chile – to protest the civilian death toll and escalating attacks.
According to the Egyptian Red Cresent on Wednesday, only 250 trucks carrying humanitarian aid have crossed into Gaza since the start of the war.
Source: Business Today Egypt