Egypt is preparing to receive seven thousand foreigners as part of the evacuation process

 from the Gaza Strip through the Rafah border crossing, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry

announced, while the Ministry of Health said that hundreds crossed on Thursday.

Edited by| Paul Mitchel

Middle East  section -  CJ journalist

Rafah border - November,2,2023

The Egyptian health ministry said it had received 21 wounded Palestinians who were taken

 to Egyptian hospitals for treatment on Thursday and 344 foreign passport holders, including 72 children.

Ismail Khairat, Assistant Foreign Minister for Consular Affairs and Egyptians abroad,

 presented during a meeting on Wednesday with foreign diplomats "preparations aimed at

facilitating the reception and evacuation of foreign citizens from Gaza through the Rafah

 crossing".

Khairat said that the number of those his country will receive is "about 7,000 foreign citizens

 with the citizenship of more than 60 countries".

Only a limited number of ambulances carrying the wounded have arrived after an official on

 the Egyptian side of the crossing said 60 wounded people were expected to cross on

 Thursday, in addition to "400 people with foreign passports".

The Egyptian official said that 361 foreigners and dual nationals left Gaza on Wednesday,

 after adjusting the previously announced figure of 335. He added that 46 seriously injured

 people were evacuated along with 30 people accompanying them.

For his part, US President Joe Biden said that 74 Americans were among those evacuated on

 Thursday.

Government sources said that among the foreigners and dual nationals who crossed the

 border on Wednesday were 31 Austrians, four Italians, five French and some Germans.