Agreement on evacuation of foreigners from Gaza blocked - UN
Agreement on evacuation of foreigners from Gaza blocked (Photo: Getty Images)
No foreigner or Palestinian with dual citizenship was able to leave the Gaza Strip over the weekend, and it remains unclear whether they will be able to do so shortly. This happened after Hamas accused Israel of derailing an agreement that allowed foreigners to leave the besieged territory, according to Bloomberg.
"This is reportedly due to the failure of Hamas, Israel and Egypt to reach an agreement regarding the safe evacuation of patients from northern Gaza," the UN said.
The organization did not say whether some people could leave on Monday.
Hundreds of citizens of the United States, the United Kingdom, and other countries began leaving the Gaza Strip on November 1 through the Rafah border crossing in Egypt, marking the first instance of people in the coastal enclave being able to go since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas on October 7.
Ground operation by the IDF in Gaza
On October 7, Hamas militants launched a massive invasion into Israel, killing and kidnapping both military and civilian residents. In response, Israel declared the start of the "Iron Mace" military operation against Hamas militants and began regularly targeting locations in the Gaza Strip.
On October 27, the Israeli army intensified attacks on Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) also announced the expansion of the ground operation.
On October 31, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the start of the third phase of the military operation against the Hamas group. It involves expanding the ground penetration into the Gaza Strip.
Recently, U.S. President Joe Biden stated that Israel and the Hamas group should "pause" hostilities to allow hostages in the Gaza Strip the opportunity to leave the territory.
