Israel-Hamas War: Rafah Crossing Opens To Injured Palestinians And Foreign Nationals

 

The Rafah Border Crossing between Gaza and Egypt opened on Wednesday for hundreds of foreign passport holders and scores of Palestinian injured who needed hospital treatment for the first time in more than three weeks of bloodshed between Israel and Hamas.

In cooperation with the US, Israel, Hamas, and Egypt negotiated the crossing’s opening. It comes in response to growing international demand for Rafah’s humanitarian opening. There is no word on how long the crossing would be open, though.

The Gaza border administration reports that Egypt has consented to admit 81 of the most seriously injured on Wednesday, providing for their evacuation. Numerous people and cars were seen passing past the gates in real time, seen by television crews stationed at the border on the Gaza side.

Hundreds of people have congregated at Rafah at various periods in recent weeks, but they haven’t been permitted to leave. With the exception of four hostages, nobody had been allowed to flee. More than two hundred trucks filled with much-needed relief have arrived in the enclave from Egypt.

The largest refugee camp in Gaza was struck by an Israeli strike immediately after news broke that the crossing would open on Wednesday. The enclave’s health ministry reported that at least 50 people had died, despite the Israeli military’s claim that it had targeted the camp in order to murder a senior Hamas commander.