Hamas Permits Foreigners from Bulgaria and Other Nations to Leave Gaza as Egypt Opens Border

The Islamist movement Hamas has granted permission for foreigners from Bulgaria, as well as seven other countries, to depart the Gaza Strip. This information was made public through an official document, complete with names and passport numbers, which was shared on the Facebook page of the Border Traffic Service. Reports about this decision had previously appeared in Arab media and were later confirmed by TASS. Additionally, an Egyptian source informed AFP, and this statement was echoed by Al Arabiya, indicating that the process for foreigners to leave had commenced.

Approximately two hours after these revelations, the Rafah border crossing was opened, a move that had been previously reported by Egyptian and Western media outlets. This initiative, which was the result of discussions between Israel, Egypt, and Hamas mediated by Qatar and coordinated with the United States, is intended for temporary evacuations and appears to encompass both foreigners and severely injured Palestinians.

The document lists 19 individuals with dual citizenship in the "Bulgaria" section, with 17 of them holding Bulgarian passports. Below them in the same table, another 18 individuals are registered with Palestinian IDs, indicating their Palestinian citizenship. Some of them even have contact numbers provided.

Remarkably, this number aligns with the figure of 37 individuals who had sought assistance from the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, even though not all of them are documented as Bulgarian passport holders.

The additional nationalities included in this evacuation are Australia, Austria, Indonesia, Jordan, Finland, Czech Republic, and Japan. According to the instructions provided, these citizens were required to be present at the Rafah checkpoint at 7 a.m. local time, as well as Bulgarian time.

Simultaneously, it was reported by Arab media sources that the border was temporarily open for Palestinians who had sustained injuries during Israeli attacks and confrontations amid the conflict with Hamas. The list reportedly encompasses a total of 430 individuals. However, it remains uncertain whether this group includes hostages who were taken during the unexpected attack by Hamas in Israel, which resulted in the loss of 1,400 lives. Recently, the head of Hamas's military wing, Abu Obeida, announced that foreign hostages would be released in the coming days, offering hope for those affected.

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