A number of Australians who have been trapped in Gaza have been able to cross into Egypt after the crucial Rafah border crossing opened for the first time after more than three weeks of siege.
The first civilians – dozens of dual passport holders and seriously injured – were allowed to leave Gaza, where Israeli airstrikes pounded a refugee camp for the second day.
At least 20 Australians had been among the 300 that crossed the border overnight.
The opening of the crossing into Egypt has spurred hope that the almost 100 Australians trapped in the besieged enclave will be able to leave as part of the sanctioned exodus.
At least 34 Australians are named in a spreadsheet of foreign nationals approved to enter Egypt via the Rafah crossing.
Hundreds of foreign nationals were waiting at the Rafah border crossing in Gaza on Wednesday morning (night AEDT), after a deal was reportedly brokered to bring them out.
Jordan said the process of evacuating its citizens had begun, while Egyptian state-affiliated Al-Qahera news reported that the first group of Egyptian dual nationals had crossed the border.
Three sources close to the matter have told CNN that up to 500 foreigners are expected to cross out of Gaza at Rafah, in what would be a significant breakthrough following weeks of Israeli airstrikes across the densely populated strip that have killed thousands and sparked a humanitarian crisis.
In an initial update on Wednesday afternoon (Thursday morning AEDT), Palestinian authorities said 110 foreign passport holders had departed Gaza. It is not yet clear if all those foreign passport holders have crossed into Egypt.
By mid-afternoon, a spokesman for the Palestinian Crossings Authority said six buses carrying 335 foreign passport holders had left Gaza through the Rafah crossing into Egypt.
The authority said the plan was for more than 400 foreign passport holders to leave for Egypt. Egypt has said it will not accept an influx of Palestinian refugees because of fears Israel will not allow them to return to Gaza after the war.
Their exit follows a deal brokered by Qatar between Israel, Hamas and Egypt, in coordination with the US, that would allow for the release of foreign nationals and critically injured civilians from Gaza, according to sources familiar with the talks.
The agreement is separate from any hostage negotiations, the source added.
Meanwhile, Al-Jazeera television, one of the few media outlets still reporting from northern Gaza, aired footage of devastation in the Jabaliya refugee camp near Gaza City and of several wounded people, including children, being brought to a nearby hospital.
The Hamas-run government said the strikes killed and wounded many people, but the exact toll was not yet known.
The Al-Jazeera footage showed nearly identical scenes as the day before, with dozens of men digging through the gray rubble of demolished multistory buildings in search of survivors.
The opening of the crossing raises hope that the 88 Australians who are in the Gaza Strip will be able to leave the territory.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has been in contact with those citizens to tell them about the potential of the border opening today.
“The Australian government is assisting 88 individuals in Gaza, including Australian citizens, permanent residents and immediate family members,” a DFAT spokesperson said before the crossing opened.
“We understand the situation is extremely distressing for them and their loved ones.
“The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is communicating with all individuals registered with us in Gaza about departure options, including to make them aware of the possibility of the opening of the Rafah border on 1 November.
“Consular officials in Cairo are ready to provide support to those Australians and their family members who cross into Egypt.
“Australia continues to work with authorities and support international efforts to establish a safe passage corridor both for humanitarian supplies and for Australians and their family members who want to depart Gaza.”
But communicating with the Australians on the ground is becoming increasingly difficult, with phone and internet connectivity in Gaza once again cut off.
Internet access advocacy group NetBlocks.org has told the Associated Press that the territory “is in the midst of a total or near-total telecoms blackout” in line with the blackout imposed over the weekend.
(9 News)
