“Hamas’s demand for eight ambulances is rejected by Israel.”
The withdrawal and escape of foreign nationals from Gaza through the Rafah transit point within the southern blockade of the Gaza Strip has been halted since Saturday the 4th.
Some dual nationals living in Gaza and foreign nationals staying there were able to go to Egyptian territory through the Egyptian-controlled Rafah transit point from the 1st. However, foreign media reported on the 5th that the movement of foreigners to Rapha, which had been carried out for three consecutive days including the 2nd and 3rd, has been suspended.
The exact reason for the suspension is unknown, but CNN reported that the Hamas organization, which rules Gaza, has banned the withdrawal of foreigners from Gaza, saying Israel is not guaranteeing the arrival of ambulances carrying critically ill Palestinian patients at the Rafah transit point.
The Gaza Strip, home to 2.3 million people, has been under a ‘complete siege’ by Israel since the start of the war, with no one able to leave, and more than 300 people per day losing their lives as they were exposed to Israel’s retaliatory airstrikes.
There were 7,000 foreigners from more than 60 nationalities in Gaza, and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during a visit to Israel on the 12th of last month that the withdrawal of foreigners from Gaza would occur soon.
However, it was only on the 1st, 25 days after the war, that the Rafah Gate was opened to foreigners, and 361 people left Gaza for the first time and went to Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula. It was reported that 88 patients would be released, but the number was only 45 on the first day.
Contrary to the rumor that 1,000 foreigners would withdraw from the next day, the actual withdrawal was limited to 300 to 400 people. It was reported that as of the 3rd, there were about 1,100 foreigners who had left Gaza, and only 84 patients had gone to Egypt and been transferred to a field hospital.
If selected as permitted to withdraw through Israeli and Egyptian screening, foreigners will be notified late the night before and must arrive at the Gaza Gate, where the Rafah transit point begins, by 7 a.m. the next morning.
In Gaza, it is very difficult to find a vehicle such as a taxi due to a shortage of gasoline, so selected foreigners are having a hard time getting to Rafah. Some even arrived with luggage on horse carts. After passing through the Gaza Gate and passing through the Pal inspection office, it reaches the Egyptian inspection office under Rafamun jurisdiction.
Hamas requested that Hamas officials be included among the Palestinian patients transported by ambulance to Egyptian hospitals just before the withdrawal from Rafah, but was reportedly rejected by Israel.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.