An unconfirmed number fled via the newly opened Rafah crossing but up to 200 more, including charity workers and academics, remained stuck in the besieged Palestinian territory, praying for a way out.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly called the exit of British nationals a “hugely important first step” but vowed he “will not rest” until every UK national is free and back home.
He said: “Everything is difficult and uncertain and we need to be realistic. We’ve spoken extensively with Egypt and Israel and through inter-mediaries we have sent messages to Hamas.
“It’s not easy and there are no certainties, but we will not rest until we have done what we can to help the British nationals in Gaza.”
Rafah was opened for people to cross the border yesterday for the first time Israel war erupted on October 7. Unconfirmed reports suggested at least two British nationals, listed as aid workers, crossed.
The Foreign Office said: “We will continue working with partners to ensure the crossing is opened again, allowing vital aid into Gaza and more British nationals to leave safely.
“We are regularly updating all British nationals registered with us.“The crossing will be open for controlled and time-limited periods to allow specific groups of foreign nationals and the seriously wounded to leave.
“We have agreed a list of British nationals that want to leave Gaza with Egyptian and Israeli authorities. We will be informed in advance when those on the list can use the crossing to ensure we can provide assistance.”
Authorities have been passed the names of every stranded British national and dependents with diplomats “pressing at the most senior levels for all to be able to cross as soon as practically possible”.
Some 500 foreign nationals have been cleared to leave by the Egyptian and Palestinian authorities, almost half of them Brits. Their departure is expected in stages over the coming days.
It is thought that 335 foreign passport holders crossed into Egypt on six buses.Ambulances lined up at the border in preparation for the 76 seriously injured civilians, 16 were transferred to hospitals in North Sinai.
Heading into Gaza were 51 trucks laden with humanitarian aid. UK teams are on standby to assist British nationals as soon as they are able to flee.
A figure close to the evacuation said: “There has been a focussed and determined diplomatic effort to secure the opening of Rafah crossing for foreign nationals to leave Gaza.
“That the gate has opened is a welcome first step, but the process is complicated and will be done in a methodical and planned way.”
Among those cleared to leave but still stranded is Dr Abdel Hammad, a surgeon at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital, trapped in Gaza since the Hamas incursion on October 7.
The Foreign Office told him to be “ready to go”.
On a day of mass confusion, panic and hope the opening of the border marked a major diplomatic victory amid a vicious and bloody three-week conflict.
Intensive behind-the-scenes efforts involving Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Mr Cleverly and Middle East Minister Lord Ahmad and counterparts in Egypt, Israel and Qatar have helped ensure British nationals will be among those granted safe passage.
The Foreign Office Britain expects around 200 trapped citizens to cross the border over the coming days.
Under a deal thrashed out between Egypt, Israel and Hamas, a limited number of foreigners and the seriously injured have already been allowed to pass the crossing.
The first wave of seriously injured evacuees crossed in ambulances to seek hospital treatment. Some were among more than the 15,000 wounded in Israeli air raids, which Gaza’s Ministry of Health claims has killed 8,796, Palestinians, including 3,648 children.
Britain has had a Border Force team in Cairo for more than a week with consular officials in Arish, near Rafah, in preparation to provide support to Britons and their families.
The route to freedom for foreigners and the most critically wounded offers a glimmer of hope more will be allowed out as humanitarian aid flows in.
The crossing was closed to people after Hamas launched its cross-border massacre in Israel, but has opened at brief intervals to allow aid trucks in.
Hundreds of thousands have gathered in the hope of being able to escape to freedom, but until yesterday were refused because of disagreements between Egypt, Israel and Hamas.
A diplomatic source claimed there was no link between the opening of the border and other items under negotiation, including a ceasefire, hostage release or the arrival of humanitarian aid.
Manchester teacher Zaynab al Wandawi, who travelled to Gaza with her family three days before October 7, remains trapped with 10 members of her husband’s family. She was also turned away at the border crossing.
She said: “We went to the border, they told us British passport holders and American passport holders will not be let through yet. They said to try again.
“Two of my brothers-in-law have stayed at the crossing and are updating us if anything changes. But the rest of us have come home where the situation is desperate. We are running out of supplies, we’re having to use sea water for basic needs.”
Her mother Lalah Ali Faten, from Prestwich in north Manchester, said “They (Ms Wandawi and her family members) went to the border, they were denied exit, they were informed that British nationals are not leaving today, their names are not on the list.”
She said it “kind of gets me upset with the Foreign Office, to be honest”, adding: “Why are you not prioritising your citizens when other countries have managed to do the same for theirs?”
She said she called the Foreign Office to ask whether UK nationals would be able to leave “and they didn’t know, they said we don’t have that information”.
She added: “I’m grateful that they’re still alive, I’m grateful they’ve not been injured, they just deserve better support and care from the Foreign Office to be honest.”
Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf’s in-laws also remain trapped in the Gaza Strip.
Mr Yousaf’s parents-in-law, Elizabeth and Maged El-Nakla, from Dundee, travelled to Gaza to visit family before the conflict erupted.
In a statement, the First Minister’s spokesman said: “We continue to liaise with the UK Government and urge them to work with the Egyptian authorities so that all UK nationals can urgently leave Gaza as quickly as possible.
“The First Minister’s wife, Nadia, spoke to her mother this morning. The family remains trapped in Gaza, without clean drinking water, and rapidly diminishing supplies.”
The opening of the crossing comes a fortnight after Britain said opening the route to allow aid into Gaza and foreign nationals to escape the humanitarian disaster was a priority.
Israel ordered a blockade of Gaza after Hamas launched its bloody raid – its most severe punishment since 2007 when it designated the Gaza Strip a hostile entity, and instituted a series of sanctions including power outages, import restrictions, and border closures. It ordered Gazans to move south as it carried out retaliatory strikes.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned of a “tough and long” war, but “Israel would continue its mission until victory”.
In a video he mourned “painful losses” after several soldiers were killed fighting in northern Gaza, adding in tribute: “The entire nation of Israel embraces you, the families, from the bottom of our hearts.”
Rory Moylan, of the British Red Cross, said: “People desperately need more aid – basic things like food, clean drinking water and medical care. We urgently need to get more supplies to those in need.
“Before the hostilities escalated on October 7, around 500 aid trucks a day were entering Gaza to support people already living in crisis there. Since then,just over a hundred with food, water and essential medicine have been able to enter.
“We need a de-escalation in the fighting. We need families to be reunited, with all the hostages held in Gaza released. We need everyone to respect international humanitarian law. And we need civilian life to be protected at all times.
“Every death of a child, a son, a daughter, a sibling, a parent is a tragedy. We must preserve humanity.”
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees says more than 670,000 people are sheltering in about 150 overcrowded installations.
Jason Lee, Save the Children’s Country Director for the occupied Palestinian territory, said: “Historically, the vast majority of aid to Gaza has come through the two crossings with Israel, for humanitarian workers and humanitarian supplies – Erez and Kerem Shalom respectively –
which are currently closed. Even if all crossings were open, it is unlikely the huge severity and scale of children and families’ needs would be met,
particularly given the impact the 16-year blockade has had on the environment, infrastructure, services, and basic life prospects for those in the Gaza Strip.
“There must be consistent safe passage for humanitarian aid and personnel, and it must happen now. Time is costing lives.”
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the World Health Organisation, said:
“Attention must not be diverted from the far greater needs of thousands of patients in Gaza, many of them extremely fragile who cannot be moved.”
