President Biden on Wednesday hailed the departure of U.S. citizens and other foreign nationals from the war-torn territory of Gaza as the Rafah border crossing into Egypt opened up for the first time since the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks on Israel.
Speaking in Minnesota, the president said the hundreds of foreign nationals leaving Gaza were the result of “intense and urgent American diplomacy with our partners in the region.”
“We’ve been working nonstop to get Americans out of Gaza as safely as possible,” he said
Mr. Biden said those who left Gaza were part of a “first group” and he expects thousands of foreign nationals, including American citizens, to leave the territory in the coming days. U.S. officials have not specified how many Americans were able to leave, and it’s not clear how many of the at least 400 U.S. citizens believed to be trapped in Gaza will be able to cross in the coming days.
The first people to leave Gaza crossed into Egypt earlier Wednesday, fleeing from a growing humanitarian crisis as Israel continues to pound the territory with airstrikes. Thousands have been driven from their homes while food, water, and fuel run low.
Israel struck a densely populated refugee camp near Gaza City, destroying several apartment buildings. Footage from Al-Jazeera, one of the few media outlets still broadcasting from northern Gaza, showed several wounded people, including children, being brought to a hospital.
Mr. Biden pledged that the U.S. will continue to provide humanitarian aid to help support innocent people in Gaza, which is controlled by the terrorist organization Hamas.
“We’re going to continue to affirm that Israel has the right to respond and defend its citizens from terror and it needs to do so in a manner that is consistent with international humanitarian law and prioritizes the protection of citizens,” he said.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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