• Published 11:15 02.01.09
  • Latest update 20:24 02.01.09

Israel lets Palestinians with foreign passports flee Gaza

Some 300 Gazans pour through Erez crossing; more than 400 killed, nearly 2,000 wounded since fighting began.

By The Associated Press Tags: Hamas Israel news Gaza

Israeli officials said Friday that the government has decided to allow dozens of Palestinian holders of foreign passports to flee the fighting in the Gaza Strip.

Israel Defense Forces spokesman Peter Lerner said nearly 300 Palestinians are pouring through the Israeli-controlled Erez crossing.

He saidthe Palestinians hold citizenship from a number of other countries, including the U.S., Russia, Turkey and Kazakhstan.

More than 400 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 2,000 more wounded since Israel began its aerial offensive on the Gaza Strip last Saturday. Since then, 12 Palestinians have been evacuated to Israeli hospitals, including one wounded by a Qassam rockets which misfired en route to Israel.

Israel has rebuffed a French proposal for a 48-hour truce to allow Gazans freer access to humanitarian aid, but over the last few days has permitted some 300 trucks carrying medical and food supplies into the embattled territory.

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