MOSCOW: The first group of foreigners and injured Palestinians evacuated after the Rafah border crossing re-opened arrived in Egypt from Gaza on Sunday, four Egyptian security sources said.
Several injured Palestinians arrived on Egyptian soil to receive medical treatment, in addition to 80 foreign nationals and dependents, with more undergoing border procedures, the sources said.
Evacuations through the border crossing were suspended on Friday after issues transporting injured Palestinians from northern Gaza.
At least 80 aid trucks had moved from Egypt into Gaza by Sunday afternoon, two of the sources said.
The evacuation of Russian nationals from the Gaza Strip has also begun and about 70 Russian passport holders have crossed into Egypt, Russia’s emergencies ministry said on Sunday.
“Seventy citizen crossed the Rafah crossing,” the Russian emergency services said.
The ministry published footage of staff welcoming evacuees, some of them crying, and providing them with basic necessities.
A limited evacuation, which began on Nov. 1, of foreign passport holders and Palestinians needing urgent medical treatment, to Egypt has faced difficulties. It was paused several times in the past week due to bombardments that aid staff said hit or targeted medical convoys.
“At the moment, citizens of the Russian Federation who wish to leave the conflict zone are crossing the checkpoint,” Russia’s emergencies ministry said.
“Russian Emergency Situations Ministry specialists are providing medical and psychological assistance to the people on site, and providing them with food and water,” it said.
It said that Russian citizens will be transferred to Cairo and will be assisted with necessary paperwork.
The foreign ministry had said Thursday it was “shocked” by Israeli officials saying it could take up to two weeks to evacuate Russian citizen — with around 500 Russians wanting to leave.
Israel’s envoy to Moscow told Russian state media this week that with 500-600 people leaving each day, and 7,000 waiting to be evacuated, it could take two weeks to get Russian citizens out of Gaza.
Moscow reacted furiously.
The ministry didn’t say, how many Russian citizens are expected to leave Gaza. According to Russian media, some 1,000 Russians and nationals from the republics of the former Soviet Union have expressed a wish to leave Gaza.
