First wounded, foreigners and dual nationals from Gaza arrive in Egypt

A first group of foreigners and dual nationals fleeing war-torn Gaza have arrived in Egyp, mostly women and children, an Egyptian official has said.

Parents with strollers and elderly people were seen among those getting off a bus on the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing on Wednesday in footage broadcast by an Egyptian TV channel close to the intelligence services.

Earlier, ambulances transported wounded residents out of Gaza for urgent medical care in Egypt.

Reporters saw a phalanx of 40 white ambulances streaming through the Rafah border crossing, as crowds of foreign and dual-national families gathered nearby, hoping to leave the catastrophic conditions of Gaza behind them.

At least two children were seen in the ambulances, one with a large bandage wrapped around his stomach, as medics examined the wounded and transferred them to stretchers.

Jordanian citizen Saleh Hussein said she received word in the middle of the night that she was on the list for evacuation.

"We've faced many problems in Gaza, the least of which were the shortage of water and the power outage. There were bigger problems such as the bombardment. We were afraid. Many families were martyred," she said.

AFPTV images showed whole families, struggling to carry their worldly possessions, rushing through the heavily fortified crossing towards Egypt.

"We lack the most basic human needs. No internet, no phones, no means of communication, not even water. For the past four days, we haven't been able to feed this child a piece of bread. What are you waiting for?" said Gaza resident Rafik al Hilou.

AFP reporters saw more tanks pour over the border into northern Gaza, as Israel stepped up its ground incursion launched late last week.