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At least 400 foreign nationals are expected to leave Gaza and enter Egypt through the Rafah crossing, a Palestinian official at the crossing, Wael Abu Umar, told CNN on Thursday.
This follows the overnight release of a list containing 595 names of people who appear to have received clearance for departure from Gaza. Those on the list were instructed to arrive at the Rafah crossing at 7 a.m. local time on Thursday. Notably, the list includes approximately 400 Americans, with the remainder hailing from 14 different countries, as reported by CNN on Thursday. The Rafah crossing partially opened on Wednesday to facilitate the evacuation of foreign nationals and injured Palestinians, marking the first such opening since hostilities began on October 7. An Egyptian government official confirmed that 45 individuals had already entered Egypt and were undergoing treatment, according to CNN. The conflict in Gaza escalated after the October 7 attack by Hamas, where about 2,500 terrorists breached the border into Israel from the Gaza Strip, leading to casualties and the seizure of hostages. As the ground offensive advances and the Israel Defence Forces breached Hamas's first line of defence. The IDF reported 17 soldiers killed in the operation. The IDF stated that the family of Lieutenant (res.) Yuval Zilber from Ramat Gan has been notified. Israeli military also attacked an anti-tank missile launcher in Lebanon. The incident occurred after a gunman reportedly targeted an Israeli UAV near Mount Hermon. Israel has characterised its Gaza offensive as targeting Hamas' infrastructure with the goal of eliminating the entire terror group while making efforts to minimise civilian casualties, The Times of Israel reported. Over 8,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since October 7. More than 1,400 people were killed in the Hamas attack on Israel. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently made it clear that Israel would not agree to a ceasefire, drawing parallels to the United States' position after the bombing of Pearl Harbour. Netanyahu called it a turning point for nations and said that it is time for everyone to decide if they are willing to fight for a future of hope and promise or surrender to tyranny and terror. He said that Israel has been at war since October 7. (ANI)
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