MOSCOW, November 1. /TASS/. Palestine expects to evacuate 200 wounded and foreign citizens from the Gaza Strip through the Rafah checkpoint, Palestinian Ambassador to Russia Abdel Hafiz Nofal told TASS.

"We don't know yet, it was only said that the Rafah checkpoint will be opened for 200 seriously wounded and maybe for foreigners. No one has left yet, we are waiting," he said when asked if the Rafah crossing was open and if the evacuation of foreigners from the Gaza Strip was underway.

Earlier, Aliya Zaripova, spokeswoman for the Russian mission to the Palestinian Authority, told TASS that Russian diplomats in Ramallah were checking media information about the opening of the Rafah crossing on the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip for the evacuation of foreigners. Zaripova reported that more than 900 people are on the Russian list for evacuation from the Gaza Strip, including more than 500 Russians.

Tensions flared up again in the Middle East on October 7 when militants from the radical Palestinian group Hamas staged a surprise attack on Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip, killing residents of Israeli border settlements and taking hostages, including children, women and the elderly. Hamas described its attack as a response to the aggressive actions of Israeli authorities against the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City. Israel has announced a total blockade of the Gaza Strip and has been delivering air strikes on Gaza as well as some parts of Lebanon and Syria. Clashes are also underway in the West Bank. On October 27, Hagari announced the expansion of the military ground operation in Gaza.