The border between Rafah and Egypt is expected to be opened for the second time to foreigners in Gaza on Thursday. Palestinian border authorities published a list of people who can leave the Gaza Strip. Among them were twenty Dutch.
The list mainly includes foreigners and people with dual nationality. Most of them are Americans (400), followed by Belgians (50) and Greeks (24).
The Egyptian Red Crescent relief agency reported that about 400 people would cross the border on Thursday.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is in contact with Dutch citizens, people with valid residency in the Netherlands, stranded in Gaza, and their immediate family members. The embassy in Egypt has a team ready to receive and assist this group once they cross the border.
Palestinian border authorities said applicants must arrive at Rafah, the border crossing between Gaza and Egypt, at 6 a.m. Dutch time. It is not yet clear whether this happened. On Wednesday, hundreds of people were able to cross the border with Egypt with a foreign or dual passport.
0:46The first foreigners and injured people cross the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt
7,000 people can cross the border into Egypt
Egypt says that about seven thousand people from more than sixty countries want to cross the border from Gaza into Egypt. The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on the diplomats of those countries to inform them of the procedures, for example, regarding the papers that people need to cross the border.
Egypt will assist in the evacuation of people holding foreign passports or partial dual citizenship. It is not clear whether more people with foreign passports reside in Gaza.
On Wednesday, two seriously injured Palestinians were also allowed to pass through for treatment in Egypt. Another 55 trucks carrying aid supplies heading from Egypt to Gaza were also allowed to cross.
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