Gaza evacuations send injured, foreign nationals through Rafah crossing in Egypt (2024)

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In northern Gaza, Israel on Wednesday launched another deadly attack on the Jabalya refugee camp, the latest in a series of strikes the United Nations said “could amount to war crimes.” At least 195 people have been killed in strikes on the camp, Hamas said. The Israeli military claimed responsibility for Wednesday’s attack — saying it was targeting Hamas operatives and infrastructure — as well as Tuesday’s, which killed and injured hundreds of people while destroying about 20 buildings, according to the Health Ministry and Marwan al-Sultan, the medical director at the Indonesian Hospital.

The Rafah border crossing opened after weeks of negotiations between the U.S., Israeli and Egyptian governments and Hamas, with Qatar mediating the deal, according to a person briefed on the agreement, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter. Earlier, the Hamas border authority called on hundreds of foreign nationals seeking to flee to go to the crossing, and said Egypt had agreed to take in 81 injured people.

Some embassies in Cairo were notified Tuesday night that their citizens would be allowed to cross out of Gaza after the wounded and staff of international organizations, and were told to send consular officers to the Rafah border crossing. Those who went, the U.S. official said, had no trouble traveling through the Suez tunnel into Sinai, a route that had been unauthorized until now. The United States was not among those notified Tuesday night, but the official said the embassy expects the call Wednesday night and about 400 U.S. citizens and eligible family members to begin leaving in stages Thursday.

At least 8,796 people in Gaza have been killed and more than 22,219 have been wounded, the Gaza Health Ministry said. Israel’s death toll, of at least 1,400 people killed in the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, has not officially risen for weeks. At least 5,400 people have been injured, according to Israeli authorities.

In northern Gaza, Israel on Wednesday launched another deadly attack on the Jabalya refugee camp, the latest in a series of strikes the United Nations said “could amount to war crimes.” At least 195 people have been killed in strikes on the camp, Hamas said. The Israeli military claimed responsibility for Wednesday’s attack — saying it was targeting Hamas operatives and infrastructure — as well as Tuesday’s, which killed and injured hundreds of people while destroying about 20 buildings, according to the Health Ministry and Marwan al-Sultan, the medical director at the Indonesian Hospital.

The Rafah border crossing opened after weeks of negotiations between the U.S., Israeli and Egyptian governments and Hamas, with Qatar mediating the deal, according to a person briefed on the agreement, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter. Earlier, the Hamas border authority called on hundreds of foreign nationals seeking to flee to go to the crossing, and said Egypt had agreed to take in 81 injured people.

Some embassies in Cairo were notified Tuesday night that their citizens would be allowed to cross out of Gaza after the wounded and staff of international organizations, and were told to send consular officers to the Rafah border crossing. Those who went, the U.S. official said, had no trouble traveling through the Suez tunnel into Sinai, a route that had been unauthorized until now. The United States was not among those notified Tuesday night, but the official said the embassy expects the call Wednesday night and about 400 U.S. citizens and eligible family members to begin leaving in stages Thursday.

At least 8,796 people in Gaza have been killed and more than 22,219 have been wounded, the Gaza Health Ministry said. Israel’s death toll, of at least 1,400 people killed in the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, has not officially risen for weeks. At least 5,400 people have been injured, according to Israeli authorities.

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