Palestinians wait to cross into Egypt at Rafah, Gaza Strip, on Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Fatima Shbair
OTTAWA – A London, Ont. woman says her father was able to leave the Gaza Strip by crossing the border into Egypt today as the Rafah land crossing reopened following a two-day closure.
Dalia Salim says her 66-year-old father crossed the border today with her uncle, who is a U.S. citizen.
Salim says her father retired last year and was spending time in Gaza with his aging mother before war broke out between Israel and Hamas last month. Today marked his sixth attempt to get out of the war-torn territory.
Authorities in the Gaza Strip said Saturday the Rafah land crossing between Gaza and Egypt would reopen on Sunday after being closed for the two previous days.
The announcement was shared on a Facebook page on which the General Authority for Crossings and Borders posts a daily list of foreigners cleared to make the journey.
Global Affairs Canada previously confirmed that 266 Canadian citizens, permanent residents and their families had been cleared to cross the border as of Friday, but did not immediately have any information on how many of those were able to make the trip today.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2023.
