The authorities of the Gaza Strip, which are controlled by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), announced on Monday that they have granted permission for 35 people with Spanish passports to leave the enclave through the Rafah crossing, which is located on the border with Egypt.
The General Authority for Crossings and Borders in the Gaza Strip, a body that is under the Gaza Ministry of the Interior, has specified that these 35 people are part of a group of over 480 individuals who have been given permission to leave the enclave. The group includes a variety of nationalities, such as 229 Jordanians, 100 Turks, six Albanians, three Chileans, and two Colombians. Additionally, there are 52 United Nations workers and 45 individuals with European Union documents in the group.
All of these individuals are required to arrive at the exterior corridor of the crossing at 7am local time in order to exit the Strip. The Rafah crossing was opened on November 2 for the first time since October 7, following the attacks by Hamas, to allow for the evacuation of the wounded and the departure of foreign citizens.
139 Hispano-Palestinians and their families, who managed to leave the Strip, recently arrived in Spain from Egypt. The Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, described this evacuation as particularly complex as it required authorization from the Governments of Israel and Egypt.
Authorities in Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas, have reported over 13,000 deaths in the Strip. Meanwhile more than 180 Palestinians have died at the hands of Israeli forces or in attacks by settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.