Suspension of Evacuation Operations through Rafah Crossing from Gaza to Egypt

Three Egyptian security sources and a Palestinian official stated that today, Friday, evacuation operations from the Gaza Strip to Egypt for holders of foreign passports and Palestinians needing urgent medical treatment have been suspended. The Egyptian sources reported that "dozens of foreign passport holders and their families, as well as a small number evacuated for medical reasons, entered Egypt today before the crossing operations were suspended." The Palestinian official and an Egyptian medical source indicated that the suspension was due to issues in bringing patients and injured individuals to the Rafah crossing from inside the Gaza Strip. Limited evacuation operations from Gaza to Egypt began on November 1 and were halted twice over the past week due to bombings that relief workers reported had targeted medical convoys.