Egypt receives wounded Gazans, foreign passport holders through Rafah crossing

RAFAH, Egypt -- Egypt received on Wednesday wounded Palestinians and foreign passport holders from the besieged Gaza Strip via the Rafah crossing, the only linking point between Egypt and the enclave, a local source told Xinhua.

Some 225 foreign passport holders crossed from the Gaza Strip into Egypt, said the source who asked to remain anonymous, adding that most of them were from Jordan and were heading by bus to the Arish city, the largest city on the Sinai Peninsula, lying on the Mediterranean coast.

Meanwhile, 15 wounded Palestinians from Gaza arrived in Egypt earlier along with 12 family members, the source added.

A total of 81 wounded were supposed to enter Egypt on Wednesday as the first batch, but ten passed away before leaving Gaza.

This is the first time that the Rafah crossing has been opened for the exit of the wounded and those holding foreign passports from Gaza since the conflict started last month.

The developments coincided with the announcement by the spokesman of the Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, on Tuesday that it would release foreign hostages "in the coming days."

Forty ambulances passed through the Egyptian side of Rafah crossing in the morning to transfer the wounded Palestinians from the strip, the source said, adding that Egypt has allocated three areas in Arish and Shiekh Zuweid cities to host families of the wounded.

Eight Egyptian hospitals in North Sinai and Cairo are prepared to treat the wounded, he added.

Meanwhile, some 70 aid humanitarian aid trucks entered Gaza via the Rafah crossing in the morning.