Israel opens new window for getting out of Gaza

The Egyptian Red Crescent says 1102 foreigners and Palestinians have left Gaza through Rafah. (EPA PHOTO)

The Israeli army has given civilians in the Gaza Strip a new time window to flee to the south of the coastal region.  

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said they would allow traffic on a southbound road between 10 am and 2 pm on Sunday, a spokesman wrote on the X platform, formerly Twitter, on Saturday evening. 

The army also published a map showing the designated road. 

The post, in Arabic, said in part "If you care about yourself and your loved ones, head south according to our instructions." 

The spokesman called on people to take the next opportunity to head south for their own safety. 

Israel's army had already repeatedly called on people in the north to flee to the south of the sealed-off coastal strip. According to the military, at least 700,000 people have already done so.  

However, earlier there appeared to be a halt to the departure of injured Palestinians as well as foreigners and Palestinians with dual citizenship from the Gaza Strip.

A source close to the Egyptian Red Crescent confirmed to the DPA news agency that employees of the Palestinian Red Crescent had been ordered by the authorities to stop transporting wounded Palestinians for the time being. 

Security sources in Egypt said the Palestinians were calling for safe routes for ambulances carrying the wounded from the Gaza Strip to the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.

Security sources in Gaza also said that foreigners will not leave the Gaza Strip until the wounded can be brought to Egypt.

The United Kingdom's Foreign Office said it was pressing for the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt to be reopened after it "temporarily closed" on Saturday.

"This continues to be a complex and challenging situation and we are using all diplomatic channels to press for its reopening in co-ordination with our international partners," a statement said.

On Friday, an ambulance outside al-Shifa Hospital was hit in an Israeli attack. 

The Hamas-controlled Health Ministry and the Palestinian Red Crescent said wounded people were being transported to the Rafah crossing so they could be treated in Egypt. 

According to the Israeli military, the Islamist Hamas had used the ambulance and several militants are said to have been killed in the attack. 

with PA

License this article

What is AAPNews?

For the first time, Australian Associated Press is delivering news straight to the consumer.

No ads. No spin. News straight-up.

Not only do you get to enjoy high-quality news delivered straight to your desktop or device, you do so in the knowledge you are supporting media diversity in Australia.

AAP Is Australia’s only independent newswire service, free from political and commercial influence, producing fact-based public interest journalism across a range of topics including politics, courts, sport, finance and entertainment.

What is AAPNews?
The Morning Wire

Wake up to AAPNews’ morning news bulletin delivered straight to your inbox or mobile device, bringing you up to speed with all that has happened overnight at home and abroad, as well as setting you up what the day has in store.

AAPNews Morning Wire
AAPNews Breaking News
Breaking News

Be the first to know when major breaking news happens.


Notifications will be sent to your device whenever a big story breaks, ensuring you are never in the dark when the talking points happen.

Focused Content

Enjoy the best of AAP’s specialised Topics in Focus. AAP has reporters dedicated to bringing you hard news and feature content across a range of specialised topics including Environment, Agriculture, Future Economies, Arts and Refugee Issues.

AAPNews Focussed Content
Subscription Plans

Choose the plan that best fits your needs. AAPNews offers two basic subscriptions, all billed monthly.

Once you sign up, you will have seven days to test out the service before being billed.

AAPNews Full Access Plan
Full Access
AU$10
  • Enjoy all that AAPNews has to offer
  • Access to breaking news notifications and bulletins
  • Includes access to all AAPNews’ specialised topics
Join Now
AAPNews Student Access Plan
Student Access
AU$5
  • Gain access via a verified student email account
  • Enjoy all the benefits of the ‘Full Access’ plan at a reduced rate
  • Subscription renews each month
Join Now
AAPNews Annual Access Plan
Annual Access
AU$99
  • All the benefits of the 'Full Access' subscription at a discounted rate
  • Subscription automatically renews after 12 months
Join Now

AAPNews also offers enterprise deals for businesses so you can provide an AAPNews account for your team, organisation or customers. Click here to contact AAP to sign-up your business today.

SEVEN DAYS FREE
Download the app
Download AAPNews on the App StoreDownload AAPNews on the Google Play Store