First group of civilian evacuees leave Gaza via Rafah border crossing

A first group of civilian evacuees from Gaza crossed into Egypt under a Qatari-mediated deal on Wednesday while Israeli forces bombed the Palestinian enclave from land, sea and air as they pressed their offensive against Hamas militants.

The evacuees, who had been trapped in Gaza since the start of the war more than three weeks ago, were driven in ambulances through the Rafah border crossing. A source at the border said they were undergoing security checks on the Egyptian side.

Under the deal reached between Egypt, Israel and Hamas, a number of foreign nationals and critically wounded people will be allowed to leave the besieged territory.

Despite the breakthrough on the humanitarian front, Israeli war planes, naval boats and artillery pounded Gaza throughout the night, inflicting scores more casualties among the civilian population, Palestinian residents said.

Hospitals struggled to cope as fuel shortages forced shutdowns.

Israel sent its forces into Hamas-controlled Gaza following weeks of air and artillery strikes in retaliation for a deadly attack by the Islamist group on southern Israel on October 7.

Israel has vowed to wipe out Hamas. But the civilian death toll in Gaza and desperate humanitarian conditions have caused concern across the world as food, fuel, drinking water and medicine run short.

An Egyptian security source had said earlier that up to 500 foreign passport holders would pass though the Rafah crossing on Wednesday. About 200 people were waiting at the Palestinian side of the border, the source said.

A second source said not all were expected to make it out on Wednesday and there was no timeline for how long the crossing would remain open.

A Western official said a list of people with foreign passports who can leave Gaza had been agreed between Israel and Egypt. An Israeli official confirmed that Israel was coordinating the exits with Egypt.

Egypt has prepared a field hospital in Sheikh Zuwayed, medical sources said. Ambulances were waiting at Rafah.

The first source said the deal was not linked to other issues, such as the release of about 240 hostages held by Hamas or a “humanitarian pause” in the fighting which many countries have called for but which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected.

Indonesia said it was trying to get out 10 nationals but three of them, volunteers at an Indonesia-run hospital, have decided to stay. The Philippines, Jordan and Italy also said they said they hoped to bring citizens out on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, The United Nations warned that the situation in Syria, which borders Israel and where many Iran-backed militias operate, is “at its most dangerous for a long time” as Israel increases its airstrikes on the country.
 

The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is worsening as aid trucks only trickle in. An Israeli minister had told Bloomberg a greater amount of supplies would be allowed in from Egypt starting on Tuesday or Wednesday. 

The European Union’s top diplomat Josep Borrell said he was appalled by the high number of casualties from the bombing by Israel of a refugee camp in Gaza and called for fighting parties to respect the international rules of war. The EU last week called for pauses in Israeli bombing and Hamas rocket attacks to get humanitarian aid into Gaza through safe corridors.

“With each passing day, as the situation becomes more and more dire, this is more urgent than ever,” Borrell said.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said that Israeli hostages held in Gaza were subject to the same “death and destruction” that Palestinians have faced. Eleven Israeli soldiers were also killed in fighting on Tuesday, the Israeli military said, its biggest one-day loss since the initial assault.

Netanyahu mourned mounting military losses and cautioned that the war would be long. “We are in a tough war,” he said. “I promise to all citizens of Israel: We will get the job done. We will press ahead until victory.”

Cross-border Hamas rocket fire continued, with warning sirens sounding in southern Israel communities as well as the port cities of Ashkelon and Ashdod.

Overnight Israeli ground forces clashed with fighters from Hamas and other groups in the north, southern and eastern areas of Gaza - part of a series of incursions apparently aimed at incremental gains rather than a full-scale invasion.

Communications and internet services were cut off in Gaza again on Wednesday, telecommunications provider Paltel said.

“They don't want the world to see their crimes against civilians,” said Gaza resident Ahmed Muhey.

Dozens of Palestinians gathered outside the Nasser Hospital morgue waiting to get the bodies of their relatives for burial.

Inside, bodies lay on the ground being prepared to be shrouded in white after they were cleaned of dust and blood.

Health officials said they had received 15 bodies of Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes overnight in Khan Younis, including four children.

“Everyday there are dead and every day there are children or women among them or both,” said one doctor.

Jordan, a key US ally, said on Wednesday it has recalled its ambassador from Israel and told Israel's ambassador to remain out of the country in protest over the “humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza.

Israeli airstrikes hit refugee camp for a second day

Israeli airstrikes have hit apartment buildings in a refugee camp near Gaza City for a second day in a row, causing many deaths and injuries, the Hamas-run government said. The toll from Wednesday's strikes was not immediately known.

The Israeli military earlier said the attack on Tuesday had killed Ibrahim Biari, a Hamas commander it said was pivotal in organising the October 7 assault, as well as dozens of Hamas militants.

The European Union’s foreign policy chief said he was appalled by the high number of casualties in Jabalia and he urged all sides to respect the rules of war.

Josep Borrell said Israel had a right to defend itself but “laws of war and humanity must always apply”.

The EU last week called for pauses in Israeli bombing and Hamas rocket attacks to get humanitarian aid into Gaza through safe corridors.

Bolivia cuts off diplomatic ties with Israel

Bolivia is cutting off diplomatic relations with Israel after the attacks against Gaza. The Israeli offensive has been “disproportionate” and threatens international peace and security, Bolivia’s Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Freddy Mamani told reporters in La Paz.

The Latin American left-wing governments of Gustavo Petro in Colombia and Gabriel Boric in Chile have recalled 

their ambassadors to Israel, with the latter saying the offensive on Gaza violates international law.