Scores of overseas passport holders began leaving war-torn Gaza Wednesday after Egypt opened the Rafah crossing for the primary time because the Israel-Hamas struggle started on October 7, AFP correspondents stated.

It was not instantly clear how many individuals managed to depart through Rafah on Gaza’s southern border with Egypt, however dwell footage from the scene confirmed crowds of individuals getting into the Palestinian facet of the terminal.

Although greater than 200 vans of desperately-needed assist have crossed into Gaza from Egypt, no individuals have been allowed to flee the battered enclave, with some 400 foreigners and twin nationals anticipated to make the crossing on Wednesday.

Foreign governments say there are passport holders from 44 nations, in addition to 28 companies, together with UN our bodies, residing within the Gaza Strip the place 2.4 million individuals have endured greater than three weeks of unrelenting Israeli bombardment in response to the October 7 Hamas assaults.

The tiny coastal territory has additionally suffered “catastrophic” shortages of meals, water and electrical energy following an virtually whole Israeli blockade in response to the assaults, the worst in Israel’s historical past, that killed 1,400 individuals, largely civilians.

According to the well being ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, greater than 8,500 individuals have been killed within the bombardments, two-thirds of them girls and kids.

Separately, Egypt stated a primary group of 81 critically sick or wounded Palestinians could be allowed in to Egypt for medical remedy on Wednesday, with tv channels near the Egyptian intelligence companies broadcasting dwell photos of a fleet of ambulances getting into the terminal.

Palestinian sources stated they anticipated 88 individuals to be taken throughout for remedy in Egyptian hospitals.

The resolution to open the crossing got here hours after an Israeli strike on the most important refugee camp in Gaza, the place the well being ministry stated no less than 50 individuals have been killed.

Egypt on Tuesday condemned the strike on Jabalia camp “in the strongest terms”, warning in opposition to “the consequences of the continuation of these indiscriminate attacks that target defenceless civilians” in a overseas ministry assertion.