British citizens will be in the first tranche of foreign nationals to be allowed to cross out of Gaza, a government source has told Sky News’ political editor, Beth Rigby.
Americans are also thought to be among a group of people able to leave Gaza for Egypt via the Rafah crossing today, a US official has confirmed to Sky News’ partner site, NBC News.
It comes after a deal, mediated by Qatar, was struck between Egypt, Israel, and Hamas, to open the crossing to foreign and dual nationals currently trapped in Gaza.
The Palestinian General Authority for Crossing and Borders has published a list of more than 500 people, including foreign and dual nationals, who will be allowed to leave via the crossing today.
However, it is unclear which, if any, of those set to be allowed to leave Gaza are British nationals.
Meanwhile, a Manchester school teacher trapped inside Gaza with ten members of her husband’s family has told Sky News that British nationals could not cross the Rafah border today.
A spokesperson for Scotland’s first minister, whose wife’s parents are currently in Gaza, also said it was their understanding that British nationals were “not at present” included on the list of those being able to leave.
It comes as the first group of injured evacuees from Gaza have entered Egypt via the Rafah crossing.
Footage broadcast on Egyptian state TV – and seen by Sky News – shows injured people being transported in ambulances across the border from the Gaza Strip.
Egypt’s health ministry says more than 80 wounded Palestinians are to be brought into the country for treatment, and a field hospital has been set up in an Egyptian town near the crossing.
In other developments:
• The UK’s foreign secretary says teams are ready to assist British nationals in Gaza as soon as they are able to leave,
• The Israel Defence Forces says 11 of its troops have been killed in Gaza since Tuesday,
• Hamas claims seven hostages have been killed during a strike on a refugee camp in Gaza.
Meanwhile, the UK’s Foreign Office says it understands the Rafah crossing will open for “controlled and time-limited periods” to let “specific groups” of foreigners and seriously wounded people leave Gaza.
The departure of British nationals “will take place in stages over the coming days,” according to the ministry.
“We have been working at every level of government to ensure the Rafah crossing could open and allow all British nationals to leave Gaza,” the department said in a statement.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly says UK teams are ready to assist British nationals in the Gaza Strip as soon as they are able to leave.
UK officials have been sent to the area to provide support, the foreign office added.
However, a spokesperson for Scotland’s first minister, Humza Yousaf, whose wife’s parents are in Gaza, says it is their understanding that “at this stage UK nationals are not at present included in this initial list of countries whose nationals can cross”.
“We welcome that the Rafah crossing looks set to be opened for a number of foreign nationals,” the spokesperson said.
“The first minister has been in contact with the Foreign Secretary this morning.
“We continue to liaise with the UK government and urge them to work with the Egyptian authorities so that all UK nationals can urgently leave Gaza as quickly as possible.”
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Crowds enter Rafah crossing from Gaza
According to the spokesperson, the first minister’s wife, Nadia, has spoken to her mother today, but the family remains “trapped in Gaza, without clean drinking water, and rapidly diminishing supplies”.
Rafah is Gaza’s only gateway to the rest of the world not directly controlled by Israel.
It is under the control of Egypt as part of an agreement with Israel and the European Union.
However, it has never been a normal, fully open border crossing and is tightly controlled by authorities in Cairo.
Earlier, a convoy of Egyptian ambulances were seen waiting to go through the Rafah crossing from the Egyptian side
Read more:
What is the Rafah border crossing and who controls it?
How far has Israel got into Gaza?
Over the years it has been closed for days, weeks and months at a time. When it does open it’s often intermittent and can suddenly close again.
It has been closed to civilians wishing to cross into Egypt since the start of last month’s conflict between Israel and Hamas – though a number of aid trucks have been allowed into Gaza through the Rafah crossing.
