Cairo: Nearly 16,000 people have entered Egypt from the Gaza Strip through the Rafah border crossing since early November, the Egyptian State Information Service (SIS) said on Sunday.
“Since November, Egypt has allowed 12,858 foreign citizens and persons with dual citizenship to enter through the Rafah border crossing,” the SIS said in a statement.
The statement added that 715 patients and 558 people accompanying them also arrived in Egypt from the Gaza Strip.
In addition, more than 1,800 Egyptians returned to their homeland from the enclave.
On October 7, Palestinian movement Hamas launched a large-scale rocket attack against Israel from the Gaza Strip and breached the border. Israel launched retaliatory strikes and ordered a complete blockade of Gaza, cutting off supplies of water, food, and fuel. On October 27, Israel launched a ground incursion into the Gaza Strip with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages.
On November 24, Qatar mediated a deal between Israel and Hamas on a temporary truce and the exchange of some of the prisoners and hostages, as well as the delivery of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.
The truce was extended several times and expired on December 1.
