Egyptian security and medical sources indicated that evacuation operations from Gaza to Egypt for holders of foreign passports and Palestinians needing medical treatment resumed today, Thursday, at the Rafah crossing after being suspended for one day. The U.S. State Department stated today that there will be two humanitarian corridors to allow people to flee combat areas in northern Gaza, adding that it is essential to increase supplies and relief aid in the areas where people are relocating.
U.S. State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters that the Rafah crossing was opened today for aid trucks to enter Gaza and for foreign nationals to exit. Security and medical sources reported that dozens of foreign passport holders and their families, in addition to 12 individuals evacuated for medical reasons, crossed the border today.
The departure operations from Rafah, the only crossing to the besieged territory not located on the border with Israel, were halted on Wednesday due to what the U.S. State Department described as an unspecified security issue. Evacuation operations from Gaza via Rafah began on November 1 for an estimated 7,000 holders of foreign passports, dual nationals, and their families, alongside a limited number of individuals needing urgent medical treatment.
The Rafah crossing is also the only entry point for humanitarian aid into Gaza. On Wednesday, 106 trucks loaded with medical supplies and food crossed into Gaza, bringing the total number of aid trucks that have entered since October 21 to 756, according to the United Nations. Before the outbreak of the war in Gaza, more than 400 trucks loaded with aid and other supplies entered Gaza daily. Relief officials say that at least 100 trucks need to enter each day to meet the rising humanitarian needs, and deliveries face obstacles due to an exhausting inspection system and security challenges that hinder aid distribution.
