AFP
An estimated 500 foreigners and dual nationals, as well as several wounded Palestinians, were evacuated from the Israeli-bombed Gaza Strip to Egypt on Sunday, according to reports from both sides of the border said.
Some "500 foreign nationals from 15 different countries entered Egypt," an Egyptian security official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
AlQahera News, an outlet close to the Egyptian intelligence services, reported the crossing of an additional "seven wounded Palestinians" through the terminal.
Rafah is the only crossing out of Gaza not controlled by Israel, and had been closed on Friday and Saturday.
The vast majority of Gaza's 2.4 million residents are unable to escape the war, which erupted between the territory's Hamas rulers and Israel on October 7.
Meanwhile, as clashed continued on Sunday, reports emerged that patients were out "in the streets without care" after "forced evacuations" of two paediatric hospitals in Gaza, countering the Israeli army which said it secured safe passage for civilians.
"The forced evacuations of Al-Nasr and Rantisi paediatric hospitals have left sick people on the streets without care" in Gaza City, Mohammed Zaqut, director-general of hospitals in the Palestinian territory, told reporters.
"We have completely lost contact with the caregivers" at these two hospitals, he added.
Earlier Sunday, the Israeli military said it had "enabled the evacuation" of the two hospitals and opened an additional route to facilitate the safe passage of the civilian population to the south of the Gaza Strip.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanhyahu also told US media that a deal could be afoot to free hostages being held in the Gaza Strip, but declined to provide details for fear of scuttling the potential plan.
"We heard that there was an impending deal of this kind or of that kind and then we learned that it was all hokum. But the minute we started the ground operation, that began to change," Netanyahu told NBC show "Meet the Press."
Asked whether there is a potential deal to free more of the hostages being held by Hamas militants, Netanyahu replied: "There could be."
AFP
