OAN’s Stephanie Stahl
3:41 PM – Wednesday, November 1, 2023
After more than three weeks of brutal attacks, Qatar, in coordination with the United States, successfully brokered an agreement involving Egypt, Israel, and Hamas that permits limited evacuations from the besieged Gaza Strip.
On Wednesday, hundreds of foreign passport holders from a range of countries, including Australia, Austria, Finland, Indonesia, Japan, and Jordan began leaving war-torn Gaza through the Rafah border, which connects Egypt and Gaza.
Some Americans, as well as wounded Palestinians trapped in Gaza, were also cleared to evacuate. Wednesday marked the first time the border had opened since the Hamas attacks on Israel that happened on October 7th.
President Joe Biden announced on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the negotiations that took place to open the border are due to U.S. leadership.
However, the duration for which the border crossing will remain open for evacuations has not been specified.
Late on Wednesday, a total of 335 dual nationals had crossed the border, along with 76 individuals who were seriously wounded or ill. In Washington, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller confirmed that a number of American citizens have left Gaza, but he did not provide a specific number.
On Wednesday, he stated, “There are a number of American citizens who have crossed through Rafah and are in Egypt today.”
At least five non-governmental organization workers who were confirmed to be Americans had been approved to cross on Wednesday, as indicated by Gaza’s Hamas-controlled interior ministry.
However, it remains uncertain how many of the at least 400 American citizens who are currently in Gaza will be able to cross in the coming days.
Wounded individuals were quickly transported by ambulances to Egyptian field hospitals.
Teams of medical professionals were stationed at the Rafah border crossing, according to a medical representative in Arish, Egypt.
They reportedly assessed individuals’ medical conditions and decided on the appropriate hospitals for their treatment.
The same medical source also mentioned the construction of a field hospital spanning 1,300 square meters in the northern Sinai city of Sheikh Zuweid, situated approximately 10 miles (16 kilometers) away from Rafah. This facility is intended to provide care for injured Palestinians.
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