Egypt suspends authorizations for foreigners to leave Gaza; 34 Brazilians wait in line

In the early hours of this Sunday, the 5th, the Brazilian ambassador to the Palestinian National Authority in the West Bank, Alessandro Candeas, confirmed to the Estadão that the government of Egypt will not release new exit authorization lists today for foreigners and people with dual nationality trying to leave the Gaza Strip — enclave that has been under attack by Israeli forces since the beginning of this month due to the war with the terrorist group Hamas.

On Saturday, the fourth list of foreigners authorized to leave the Gaza Strip left out Brazilian citizens, who had their exit from the enclave frustrated until the next meeting. This list included a total of 599 citizens of different nationalities, including 386 citizens of the United States, 112 of the United Kingdom, 51 of France and 50 of Germany.

On Wednesday, the 1st, the Rafah pass was unlocked for the first time since the start of the conflict. According to Egyptian authorities, the 7,000 foreign citizens who requested permission to leave Gaza will be released gradually, allowing one group to leave per day — a flow that was interrupted this Sunday.

As the war in Gaza escalates, every day in the region becomes more dangerous. Meanwhile, a group of Brazilians and close family members, made up of 34 people, are waiting for authorization to leave the enclave after the Brazilian government organizes the repatriation of the citizens.

On Friday, the 3rd, the Israeli government promised Itamaraty that by next Wednesday, the 8th, the group of 34 Brazilians stranded in the Gaza Strip will leave the Palestinian territory. The guarantee was given by Israel’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Eli Cohen, to Chancellor Mauro Vieira.

The increase in tensions between Israel and Hamas complicates the departure of foreigners. The Hamas government, which controls Gaza, has suspended the departure of foreign passport holders to Egypt. Border officials said Hamas’ order came after Israel refused to allow some injured Palestinians to be taken to Egyptian hospitals.

“No foreign passport holder will be allowed to leave the Gaza Strip until the injured who need to be evacuated from hospitals in northern Gaza are transported through the Rafah crossing” to Egypt, the border official told reporters on condition of anonymity. AFP.

On Friday, the Israeli army announced that it had struck an ambulance outside Al-Shifa hospital, the largest in Gaza, saying it was “used by a Hamas terrorist cell.” At least 15 people were killed and 60 injured in the attack, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Israeli ground operations in northern Gaza continue this weekend, with troops and tanks reportedly surrounding Gaza City from multiple directions.

“More clashes with Palestinian armed groups were recorded, in addition to intense bombings throughout the Gaza Strip, including in the central and southern areas,” the institution said this Saturday.

UN data indicates that at least 231 Palestinians were killed in Gaza between November 3 and 4, bringing the number of fatalities since the start of hostilities to 9,488, including 3,900 children. The information was provided by the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Gaza. Around 2,000 people are missing in the region, including 1,250 children.