Germans can leave Gaza
According to Palestinian sources, around 220 Germans will be able to leave the embattled Gaza Strip today. This was confirmed by the Palestinian spokesperson at the Rafah border crossing to Egypt. A total of 224 names were listed under the heading Germany on a corresponding list, many of which were marked as dual nationals. A total of around 370 people were supposed to be able to leave the country, including Swedes, Australians, Portuguese and French nationals.
According to the Egyptian press center in Cairo on Monday, all foreign nationals wishing to leave the Gaza Strip should soon have done so. At the beginning of the month, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry announced that this amounted to around 7,000 people from 60 countries. However, it remained unclear whether these were only foreigners or also Palestinians with a second passport. It is also unclear how many of them are staying in the Gaza Strip without wanting to leave.
Around three weeks ago, hundreds of foreigners and Palestinians with second passports left the sealed-off coastal area for the first time since the start of the war. In consultation with the USA, Qatar had brokered a corresponding agreement between Israel and the Islamist Hamas. Hamas had seized power in the Gaza Strip by force in 2007.
The upcoming departure of Germans from Gaza is aiming to resolve some lingering conflicts between the Israeli authorities and the German nationals. Despite the Rafah border crossing being open, some dual nationals might decide to remain in the Gaza Strip, leading to unresolved issues regarding their status.
Source: www.dpa.com
