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Israel-Hamas war: Hundreds of evacuees leave Gaza for Egypt
Published 18 hours agoPublished 18 hours agolast updated 16 minutes agolast updated 16 minutes ago
Foreigners and some critically injured people have left Gaza for Egypt at the Rafah border crossing. Meanwhile, Israeli forces have said they are “at the gates” of Gaza City. Follow DW for more.
https://p.dw.com/p/4YGba
A crowd of people at the Rafah crossing into Egypt
The Rafah crossing to Egypt was opened up for the first time since the October 7 Hamas attacks on IsraelImage: Mohammed Abed/AFP/Getty Images
Skip next section What you need to know
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
The Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza opened to allow foreigners and some injured people out of the territory
German aid workers among those who left, Foreign Ministry says
Second strike reported at northern Gaza refugee camp
Chile, Colombia and Jordan recall their ambassadors to Israel
Skip next section Father of Hamas attack victim says Netanyahu should ‘resign’
16 minutes ago16 minutes ago
Father of Hamas attack victim says Netanyahu should ‘resign’
Israeli tech giant Eyal Waldman lost his daughter Danielle and her boyfriend Noam Shai at the Nova music festival, when at least 260 people were murdered by Hamas militants on October 7.
The couple tried to escape the gunmen by jumping in a car with three others and headed south, but the pair, both in their 20s, were followed and shot dead by militants with machine guns. One of the victims survived and is believed to have been taken hostage.
Speaking to DW, Waldman spoke of his personal heartbreak and called on the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to resign for “amazing intelligence and communications failures”.
“Losing a son or a daughter is something no one should experience,” Waldman said. “My daughter and her boyfriend were talking about getting married — unfortunately that will never happen. Instead of having a wedding, we’re burying them together.”
When asked what has gone wrong from an Israeli perspective, Waldman was unequivocal in his response: “We completely messed up, just amazing how messed up we were. Our intelligence failed, our communications failed.
“There is responsibility on the government, the Prime Minister. They should definitely resign, shamefully,” the Jerusalem-born entrepreneur said.
“I hope that after this crisis and unbelievable pain, there will be peace. But only after destroying Hamas and Islamic Jihad and making sure that the people that have done what they’ve done are eliminated from this place.”
Eyal Waldman, father of Hamas attack victim, speaks to DW
04:50
https://p.dw.com/p/4YIVg
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Skip next section Israel deploys missile boats after Houthis launch attacks from Yemen
1 hour ago1 hour ago
Israel deploys missile boats after Houthis launch attacks from Yemen
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it dispatched navy missile boats to the Red Sea on Wednesday after Iran-backed Houthi militia in Yemen claimed they launched attacks on Israel.
The IDF posted photos and a video on the social media platform Telegram appearing to show missile boats patrolling near the southern Israeli port city of Eilat.
A day prior, Houthi rebels said they had launched three drone and missile attacks towards Israel since the start of the war. The group also vowed to carry out further attacks on Israel.
The IDF said it had intercepted an “aerial threat” over the Red Sea on Tuesday night. Attacks launched at Israel over the Red Sea area have not hit Israeli territory or entered its airspace, either being shot down or falling short.
Concerns have been growing about the war between Israel and Hamas militants potentially spreading to other fronts.
Israel has also exchanged fire with militants from Lebanon’s Hezbollah group, which is also supported by Iran, since the war broke out.
https://p.dw.com/p/4YIRU
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Skip next section Israeli military says it is ‘at the gates of Gaza City’
2 hours ago2 hours ago
Israeli military says it is ‘at the gates of Gaza City’
Israeli troops have moved forward in their large-scale ground offensive in Gaza and are nearing Gaza City, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
“We are standing at the gates of Gaza City,” said Itzik Cohen, the commander of the IDF’s 162nd Division, told reporters.
He said that the troops were deep in Gaza and that forces have “destroyed much of Hamas’ abilities” and attacked its strategic facilities.
The IDF said that a total of 16 of its soldiers have been killed in fighting since Tuesday in clashes within and near the Gaza Strip.
Gaza City is the largest city in the Palestinian territory and is densely populated.
Israeli officials have repeatedly called for people living in Gaza City and the northern areas of the Gaza Strip to evacuate to the south.
Over the weekend, Israeli ground troops advanced into Gaza for the first time in large numbers since the October 7 attacks carried out by Hamas militants on Israel.
An estimated 800,000 people have fled from northern areas in Gaza, according to estimates from the Associated Press.
How Israeli forces train for a ground assault in Gaza
02:03
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Skip next section German nationals among 1st group to leave Gaza into Egypt
4 hours ago4 hours ago
German nationals among 1st group to leave Gaza into Egypt
Germany’s Foreign Ministry said “several” of its nationals were among those who left Gaza and entered Egypt through the Rafah border crossing on Wednesday.
Staff at Germany’s embassy in Cairo met the group at the border crossing, the ministry wrote in a post on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter.
The ministry did not state exactly how many German nationals were in the group, but said that they were “employees of international aid organizations.”
At the same time, the ministry said its staff are working intensively to ensure the remaining German citizens who are in Gaza can leave the territory, as well as continuing its efforts concerning German nationals who were taken hostage by Hamas militants.
German officials are also working on boosting supplies for the “urgently needed aid deliveries for the people in Gaza,” the ministry added.
https://p.dw.com/p/4YIAk
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Skip next section At least 300 foreign nationals reportedly cross into Egypt from Gaza
4 hours ago4 hours ago
At least 300 foreign nationals reportedly cross into Egypt from Gaza
For the first time since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, a group of people with foreign passports were able to leave Gaza and enter Egypt through the Rafah border crossing on Wednesday.
By early evening on Wednesday, over 300 foreign nationals and people with dual citizenship crossed into Egypt, the AFP and Reuters news agencies reported, citing Egyptian officials.
They are the first group to leave Gaza under a deal between Egypt, Israel and Hamas that was mediated by Qatar in coordination with the United States, Reuters reported citing Egyptian security sources and a Palestinian official.
US President Joe Biden said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that US citizens would be among those leaving Gaza on Wednesday, adding “we expect to see more depart over the coming days.”
Among the group were also four Italian nationals, five French nationals, and several German nationals, officials from the three countries said on X.
At least 500 foreign passport holders are expected to cross into Egypt on Wednesday, Egyptian authorities said.
Earlier in the day, a first group of injured Palestinians were also transported into Egypt and taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
It was unclear exactly how many injured Palestinians were transported out of Gaza, with Egypt’s Health Ministry putting the number at 16, while other Egyptian officials told AFP that 76 injured people had left Gaza through the border crossing.
https://p.dw.com/p/4YIAG
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Skip next section Jordan recalls its ambassador to Israel in protest over war
5 hours ago5 hours ago
Jordan recalls its ambassador to Israel in protest over war
Jordan announced it has recalled its ambassador to Israel with immediate effect in protest over the war and the “humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza.
Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi said in a statement that he also told Israel’s ambassador to Jordan not to return to the kingdom. The Israeli ambassador had previously left Jordan two weeks ago amid protests.
He said the return of both ambassadors to their posts would be contingent on Israel “stopping its war on Gaza” as well as the “humanitarian catastrophe it is causing.”
Jordan, which is a key ally of the United States, previously signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994. It was the second Arab country after Egypt to establish diplomatic ties with Israel.
On Tuesday, US President Joe Biden and Jordan’s King Abdullah II spoke on the phone about the war between Israel and the Islamist Hamas militant group, which rules Gaza.
According to a statement from the White House, the two leaders had discussed “urgent mechanisms to stem violence, calm rhetoric and reduce regional tensions.”
Why Egypt and Jordan don’t want Palestinian refugees
01:34
https://p.dw.com/p/4YHy2
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Skip next section Another strike reported at Jabaliya refugee camp
5 hours ago5 hours ago
Another strike reported at Jabaliya refugee camp
Reports have emerged of a round of strikes targeting buildings in a refugee camp near Gaza City for a second day in a row.
The initial attack on Tuesday, which Israel said killed a high-ranking member of Hamas who helped coordinate the October 7 attacks, reportedly killed dozens.
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) told DW that it had received word that the area had been struck again.
“A few minutes ago there has been another strike. We’re still waiting for information, but we are expecting scores of people to have been killed in this one,” NRC spokesman Ahmed Bayram said.
The broadcaster Al Jazeera, which is still reporting from northern Gaza, also said the camp had been struck again. The toll from Wednesday’s strikes was not immediately known.
Israel Defense Forces spokesman Peter Lerner told DW he could not confirm if the camp had been struck for a second time.
However, Lerner did say the Tuesday attack had been targeted at Hamas commander Ibrahim Biari, who he described as “pivotal” in planning the attacks on Israel that killed some 1,400 people.
He also said the strikes had killed a large number of other combatants and destroyed Hamas’s tunnels beneath. These claims could not be independently verified.
The IDF spokesman also reiterated that “Hamas have intentionally instilled their civilian infrastructure within the population.”
A bomb crater surrounded by rubbleA bomb crater surrounded by rubble
The aftermath of a Israeli strike on October 31 at a Gaza refugee campImage: Anas al-Shareef /REUTERS
https://p.dw.com/p/4YHxX
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Skip next section WHO welcomes decision to allow injured patients into Egypt
6 hours ago6 hours ago
WHO welcomes decision to allow injured patients into Egypt
The World Health Organization (WHO) has welcomed the opening of the Rafah border crossing to allow seriously injured people from Gaza to receive treatment in Egypt.
The Egyptian border authority in Rafah said 81 seriously injured people were due to enter Egypt on Wednesday.
In a statement on X, formerly Twitter, the WHO said there were up to 65 ambulances equipped with full resuscitation and life support capabilities.
The el-Arish hospital, in the nearby Egyptian city of el-Arish, is set to receive many of those injured.
German and Italian officials said they were in contact with their citizens in the Gaza Strip and informing them about the possibility of leaving via the Rafah crossing.
Ambulances seen near the Rafah border crossing Ambulances seen near the Rafah border crossing
Ambulances are standing by to treat injured people fleeing GazaImage: Mohammed Abed/AFP/Getty Images
https://p.dw.com/p/4YHnf
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Skip next section Norwegian Refugee Council warns of danger in southern Gaza
8 hours ago8 hours ago
Norwegian Refugee Council warns of danger in southern Gaza
Ahmed Bayram, a spokesperson for the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), told DW that his organization had managed to get in contact with a few of its colleagues in southern Gaza.
Bayram said the NRC had spoken to staff after mobile phone services in Gaza had been restored.
“Those who we managed to get in touch with told us that they had absolutely the worst night last night in Khan Younis, which is on the list of Israel’s safe areas,” Bayram said.
The NRC spokesperson added that “this area has seen ground operations from the southeast… and they reported a bomb falling 50 meters away from where they’re staying.”
Although Israel ordered Palestinians to flee the north of the Gaza Strip, it has also bombarded targets in southern Gaza.
https://p.dw.com/p/4YHZS
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Skip next section Short sentences, community service for 15 anti-Israeli rioters in Russia — report
9 hours ago9 hours ago
Short sentences, community service for 15 anti-Israeli rioters in Russia — report
Russian media reported on Wednesday that 15 anti-Israeli rioters who stormed an airport in Dagestan have been sentenced.
Russia’s TASS news agency reported 15 people were sentenced to “administrative arrest.”
Some were sentenced to eight days of administrative arrest while others received sentences of 60 hours of community service.
Late on Sunday, hundreds of protesters stormed the Makhachkala airport in Russia’s Muslim-majority Dagestan, seeking to attack Jewish passengers arriving from Israel.
Several police officers were injured during the chaotic scenes, and more than 80 were initially detained.
Dagestan: Hundreds storm airport looking for Israelis
01:12
https://p.dw.com/p/4YHVB
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Skip next section Iran’s Ayatollah Khamenei calls on Muslim countries to boycott Israel
10 hours ago10 hours ago
Iran’s Ayatollah Khamenei calls on Muslim countries to boycott Israel
Iranian state media on Wednesday reported that Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made a call for Muslim states to halt oil and food exports to Israel, amid the bombardment of Gaza.
“The bombings on Gaza must stop immediately,” Khamenei said in a speech, according to Iranian state media while calling for food and oil exports to stop.
Iran has backed Islamist groups opposing Israel for years but has denied direct involvement in the Hamas terror attacks launched on southern Israel on October 7.
https://p.dw.com/p/4YHNy
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Skip next section Media watchdog files war crimes complaints with ICC
10 hours ago10 hours ago
Media watchdog files war crimes complaints with ICC
Press freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on Wednesday said it had lodged complaints of war crimes with the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The group said war crimes had been committed against Palestinian journalists in Gaza and an Israeli journalist in Israel.
“The scale, seriousness and recurring nature of international crimes targeting journalists, particularly in Gaza, calls for a priority investigation by the ICC prosecutor,” RSF Secretary-General Christophe Deloire said in a statement.
“We have been calling for this since 2018. The current tragic events demonstrate the extreme urgency of the need for ICC action,” Deloire said.
The complaints specifically concern the deaths of eight Palestinian journalists who RSF said were killed “in bombardments of civilian areas in Gaza by Israel” and an Israeli journalist who was killed on October 7 “while covering an attack on his kibbutz by Hamas.”
According to RSF figures, 34 journalists have been killed since the start of the war between Israel and the Islamist Hamas militant group.
https://p.dw.com/p/4YHEs
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Skip next section Hamas claims seven hostages killed in bombing
11 hours ago11 hours ago
Hamas claims seven hostages killed in bombing
Hamas said seven hostages were killed in Israel’s bombing of the Jabaliya refugee camp in Gaza.
A statement from the al-Qassam brigade said three foreign passport holders were among the dead. These claims could not be independently verified.
Hamas took more than 200 people hostage during the October 7 terror attacks on southern Israel when the militant group massacred 1,400 people.
Hamas, which has been designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, Germany, Canada and other nations, has only released four of the hostages so far.
https://p.dw.com/p/4YH68
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Skip next section ‘It will be a long war,’ Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu warns
12 hours ago12 hours ago
‘It will be a long war,’ Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu warns
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday said the war in Gaza would not end any time soon.
“We are in a tough war. It will be a long war. We have important achievements in it but also painful losses,” Netanyahu said.
The Israeli leader also mourned the losses Israeli forces have incurred since Israel declared war on the Hamas militant group after its large-scale terror attacks on southern Israel on October 7.
“We will continue until we fulfill the mission — we will continue until victory,” Netanyahu said.
https://p.dw.com/p/4YGy4
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Skip next section ICRC: Supply of essential medical supplies ‘critically short’
12 hours ago12 hours ago
ICRC: Supply of essential medical supplies ‘critically short’
International Committee of the Red Cross spokesperson Alyona Synenko told DW that the aid group’s main priority was “delivering humanitarian assistance to hospitals in Gaza” that she said were running “critically short on the essential medical supplies.”
“What we have seen after we have visited hospitals around Gaza in different areas was horrifying,” Synenko said. “We have seen medical professionals who have now been working for weeks in a row without any pause.”
The ICRC spokesperson added: “Many of them are also in very distressed psychological states, because they don’t know if their own family members are safe, and sometimes they find their own family members among the victims.”
Aid received thus far, Synenko said, was “infinitely small compared to the massive scale of the needs we are seeing.”
On the topic of Wednesday’s communications blackout, Synenko said that until Tuesday there had still been communications with staff, however, as of Wednesday morning she was unable to contact team members.
Gaza’s largest telecommunications provider, Paltel, has reported a “complete disruption” of phone and internet services in the strip.
“We are, of course, extremely worried,” Synenko said, adding that “it’s impossible to put up a large humanitarian response without the functioning telecommunication lines, but also, just for civilians, people need information about how to reach safety.”
