Dozens of people began leaving Gaza for Egypt on November 1 through the Rafah crossing for a limited evacuation: some of the most seriously injured, foreign citizens and Gazans with dual nationality. The move comes after Qatar negotiated an agreement between Egypt, Israel and Hamas. The first departures from the Palestinian enclave since the start of the ongoing war come as there is a “total interruption” of Internet and telephone services, according to telecommunications providers Paltel and Jawwal, the second major outage in recent years. five days.
For the first time after 26 days of the start of the current conflict between the Hamas group, which controls the Gaza Strip, and the Israeli Army, a limited number of citizens can leave the besieged Palestinian enclave. The list of evacuees was agreed upon by Egypt and Israel. Among them, Cairo is expected to receive 81 of the most seriously injured this Wednesday, according to sources from the Palestinian border authority and Egyptian security, cited by Reuters.
In addition, it is expected that around 500 people, foreigners and Gazans with passports from another country, will be able to cross the Rafah crossing, the only one controlled by Egypt. The evacuations cover a small fragment of the population of more than two million people who remain trapped between the incessant bombing and the ground operation of the Israeli Army.
Simultaneously, the enclave is once again cut off, while humanitarian aid agencies warn that the blackouts block their work and stop hospital services, in a situation that is already precarious.
Here the main news of the day:
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7:41 (BOG) Borrell, “horrified” by the bombing of the Jabalia refugee camp
The top diplomat of the European Union, Josep Borrell, said this Wednesday that he is “horrified” by the high number of fatalities from the bombing of the Jabalia refugee camp, in the north of the Gaza Strip, which occurred a day earlier.
“Taking advantage of the EU Council’s clear position that Israel has the right to defend itself in accordance with International Humanitarian Law and ensuring the protection of all civilians, I am shocked by the high number of victims following Israel’s bombing of the camp of Jabalia refugees,” said Borrell.
The airstrike was claimed by the Israeli Army, which claimed that a Hamas commander was in the area.one of the authors of the bloody attack on October 7th – who died in the attack.
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7:19 (BOG) Official death toll in Gaza rises to 8,796 since October 7
Among those killed in the air attacks are 3,648 children, according to the latest update provided by the Ministry of Health in Gaza, controlled by Hamas.
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7:07 (BOG) The first people with foreign passports arrive in Egypt from Gaza
The information was confirmed by border sources.
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6:31 (BOG) Internet and telephone service cut off in Gaza
Telecommunications providers Paltel and Jawwal reported a “total disruption” of communications, including internet services in Gaza.
This is the second major outage in five days. Humanitarian aid agencies have warned that these blackouts severely impede their work in an already precarious situation to provide water, food and shelter in Gaza.
In addition, several hospitals have been forced to close due to a lack of electricity, as well as a shortage of water and medical supplies.
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6:15 (BOG) Italy and the United Kingdom confirm evacuation of their citizens in Gaza
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy, Antonio Tajani, assured that he hopes that the first citizens of his country will be able to leave Gaza in the next few hours.
“The first corridor in Rafah has opened and people have started leaving. I hope that the first Italians can start leaving. Our embassy in Cairo is ready to receive our departing Italian compatriots,” Tajani said.
For its part, the British Foreign Office indicated that the British are likely to leave Gaza “in stages.”
“We understand that The (Rafah) crossing will be open during controlled and limited time periods to allow specific groups of foreign nationals and seriously injured people to leave (…) Therefore, it is likely that the departure of British citizens from Gaza will occur in stages in the coming days,” the ministry explained.
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5:48 (BOG) A first group of wounded enters Egypt after evacuating from Gaza
The information was confirmed by border authorities, cited by the Egyptian press.
A source from the Palestinian border authority and two Egyptian security sources stated that A total of 81 seriously injured people are expected to enter Egypt on November 1 to receive medical treatment.
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5:33 (BOG) Limited evacuations begin from Gaza to Egypt
The Rafah crossing, which connects southern Gaza with Egypt and the only one not controlled by Israel, opened in the early hours of this Wednesday, November 1, to allow the exit of some people.
The list of those who can leave the enclave was agreed between Cairo and the Israeli authorities, with the mediation of Qatar.
Although none of the countries involved have released the exact number of citizens that can evacuatethe measure is only aimed at some of the most seriously injured, foreign citizens and those Gazans with dual nationality and who have a passport from another country to prove it.
It is planned that Up to 500 foreign passport holders will pass through the Rafah crossing this Wednesday, according to an Egyptian security source. However, a second source with knowledge of the agreement indicated that, although there is a list of up to 500 people who would leave Gaza, not all of them are expected to leave the enclave this November 1.
This is the moment the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt was opened to people for the first time since the start of Israel’s war in Gaza. pic.twitter.com/djKdPGtqH9
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) November 1, 2023
Although the Gaza Strip has experienced a land, sea and air blockade by Israel since 2007, some people had permission to leave the enclave for medical or work reasons. This is the first time that authorization has been given to leave that Palestinian territory since Benjamin Netanyahu’s Government declared war on Hamas, in response to the bloody attack by the Islamist movement, on October 7, and imposed a total siege.
With Reuters, AP and local media
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