The US State Department said on Saturday it is still working to get Americans out of Gaza as negotiations over the exit of foreigners and the delivery of aid continue.
Reuters reported that the planned evacuation of foreigners from the Gaza Strip had been stalled due to the lack of a deal with Israel and the United States to deliver aid to the enclave. Aid deliveries arrived by plane to the area on Saturday but are being held until an agreement on delivery to Gaza is reached, according to the outlet, which cited Egyptian security and aid sources.
Egypt says its side of the Rafah border crossing connecting to Gaza is open, but traffic is stalled due to the Israeli bombardment.
A State Department spokesperson told Al-Monitor on Saturday it has informed US citizens that they may want to move closer to Rafah if they deem it safe to do so. There may be little notice if the crossing opens, and it may only stay open for a limited time. The department is continuing to work on the safe exit of US citizens from Gaza, according to the spokesperson.
