Hundreds of foreign nationals and dozens of seriously injured Palestinians have been allowed to leave Gaza for the first time since the Israel-Hamas war began more than three weeks ago.
Americans are among those who departed Gaza through the Rafah crossing into Egypt on Wednesday.
The Palestine Children's Relief Fund confirmed to Scripps News that two of their aid workers were able to leave Gaza.
GOOD NEWS: Today some US citizens were able to leave Gaza, crossing thru the Rafah border into Egypt, says @StateDeptSpox. Diplomats from US Embassy Cairo are standing by to help. Miller says no concessions were made to Hamas, but the US did support wounded Palestinians leaving.
— Sasha Ingber (@SashaIngber) November 1, 2023
The opening of the border crossing came as Israeli forces advanced deeper into Gaza and airstrikes on Wednesday struck a refugee camp for a second time in as many days.
Communications and internet services were gradually being restored after the second major cut in five days, according to Paltel, the main telecommunications provider. Humanitarian aid agencies have warned that such blackouts severely disrupt their work in an already dire situation in Gaza.
The Palestinian death toll in the Israel-Hamas war has reached 8,805, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza. In the occupied West Bank, 130 Palestinians have been killed in violence and Israeli raids.
More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, most of them civilians slain in the initial Oct. 7 Hamas rampage that started the fighting. In addition, around 240 hostages were taken from Israel into Gaza by the militant group. One of the captives, a female Israeli soldier, was rescued in a special forces operation.
SEE MORE: Israel strikes refugee camp as troops advance into Gaza Strip
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