The first group of foreign and Palestinian wounded who fled Gaza after the reopening of the Rafah border crossing have arrived in Egypt, according to four Egyptian security sources cited by Reuters.

Several wounded Palestinians arrived on Egyptian soil to receive medical treatment, plus 80 foreign nationals and their family members, with others still undergoing border procedures, the sources said.

Removals from Gaza through the border crossing were suspended yesterday, Friday, following issues regarding the transfer of wounded Palestinians from northern Gaza.

The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations announced today that the removal of Russian citizens from the Gaza Strip has begun and that more than 60 holders of Russian passports have crossed the border with Egypt.

“Currently, citizens of the Russian Federation who wish to leave the conflict zone are crossing the checkpoint,” the Russian ministry said.

“Specialists from the Russian Emergencies Ministry are providing medical and psychological assistance to people at the scene, and providing them with food and water,” he said.

The ministry said that Russian citizens will be transferred to Cairo and receive assistance with the necessary documents.

The ministry did not say how many Russian citizens are expected to leave Gaza.

According to Russian media, around 1,000 Russians and citizens of former Soviet republics have expressed a desire to leave Gaza.

For his part, the head of Poland’s National Security Office, Jacek Siewiera, said that the removal of Polish citizens from Gaza began today through the Rafah border crossing.

“The first Polish citizens living in the Gaza Strip have crossed the border crossing at Rafah and are on the Egyptian side. The process has begun,” Siewiera said in a post on the X platform.

“The Air Force as ordered by the Polish president is ready to make the transfer.”

Sievera later told Reuters in a telephone interview that the Rafah crossing had opened this morning, allowing the departure of 18 Polish citizens, including minors.

He expressed hope that at least several more Polish citizens would be able to get through the crossing later today, and that the group would then be transferred to a hotel in Cairo where a military plane would await to take them to Poland.

Efforts to remove Poles from Gaza have paid off thanks to the role played by Qatar and Israel, and the involvement of Egypt, which controls the crossing, Siviera added.