Evacuees enter Egypt as bombing continues

JERUSALEM/GAZA — The first group of evacuees entered Egypt since the Palestine-Israel conflict broke out, as Israel continued bombings on the densely populated Gaza Strip.

On Wednesday, through the Rafah border crossing, the only lifeline for people seeking to leave the conflict-ravaged enclave, the first group of some 500 foreign passport-holders and some 80 injured people entered Egypt, according to Egyptian and Palestinian sources.

Egypt's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday that the country will help evacuate about 7,000 foreigners and dual nationals from the Gaza Strip.

In a meeting with foreign diplomats, Ismail Khairat, Egypt's assistant foreign minister, said Cairo was preparing "to facilitate the reception and evacuation of foreign citizens from Gaza through the Rafah crossing".

The Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, Gaza's only facility offering specialized treatment for cancer patients, was forced to shut down on Wednesday because of lack of fuel, leaving 70 cancer patients in critical situation, the Health Ministry said.

The World Health Organization welcomed Egypt's decision to accept the injured and sick people from Gaza for treatment in Egyptian hospitals.

On Thursday, Hamas said 195 people had been killed in Israeli strikes this week on the Jabalia refugee camp, the biggest in the tiny Palestinian territory.

The number of Palestinian casualties in Gaza has now reached over 9,000, according to the Gaza-based health ministry. More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said during a visit of armored troops deployed on the Gaza border that Israel would continue coordinated strikes on Gaza from the air, ground and sea, and the military has taken action to expose tunnels to "deal heavy blows to enemies within".

The military also announced that at least 15 soldiers were killed in the past day in three separate incidents in the northern Gaza Strip.

In the United States, President Joe Biden suggested a humanitarian "pause" on Wednesday as House Speaker Mike Johnson said he plans to hold a vote on a stand-alone Israel aid bill despite a Congressional Budget Office report showing it could increase the federal deficit.

Legislative action

In the first major legislative action under Johnson, House Republicans unveiled their bill on Monday, seeking to provide $14.3 billion for Israel. The House could vote on the bill and pass it with Republican support as soon as Thursday. But it is unlikely to become law, as it faces stiff opposition in the Democratic-controlled Senate and the White House has threatened a veto.

Meanwhile, Arab countries have expressed mounting unease with the conflict.

Argentina, Peru and Mexico also lambasted the Israeli attacks. The criticisms came a day after Bolivia cut diplomatic ties with Israel, while Colombia and Chile recalled their ambassadors to the country.

Israel criticized Bolivia, Chile and Colombia after the countries undertook the diplomatic moves, calling on Colombia and Chile to "explicitly condemn" Hamas, according to a statement by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday.

Xinhua - Agencies