Egypt will help evacuate “about 7,000” foreigners and dual nationals from the war-ravaged Gaza Strip, the foreign ministry has said, with officials saying some 400 people were expected to cross today.

In a meeting with foreign diplomats, Assistant Foreign Minister Ismail Khairat said Egypt was preparing “to facilitate the reception and evacuation of foreign citizens from Gaza through the Rafah crossing”, a ministry statement said.

Khairat said that involved “about 7,000” people of “more than 60” nationalities, but the statement offered no specific details or a timeline. Thursday’s first group of evacuees began arriving in Egypt, a border official told AFP.

“Four hundred people holding foreign passports are expected to cross today in addition to 60 wounded,” said the official on the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing, indicating the figures may fluctuate during the day.

He clarified the figure of wounded brought into Egypt for treatment. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said US citizens had also crossed from Gaza but declined to give a number.