A list of the names of those released, seen by The Telegraph, mentions citizens of other countries, including Japan, Australia, the Czech Republic and Finland.
On Wednesday, Joe Biden, the president of the United States, claimed to have succeeded in ensuring the safe passage of American citizens and others.
He said: “Today, thanks to American leadership, we ensure safe passage for wounded Palestinians and foreign citizens to leave Gaza. “We expect U.S. citizens to leave today and expect to see more departures in the coming days.”
The delays and confusion over the evacuations are believed to be due to careful research and a delicate agreement between Israel, Egypt and Hamas.
The Israel Defense Forces said Israeli intelligence was investigating all foreign nationals leaving the Gaza Strip for links to terrorism before allowing their names to be included on the release list found on the border with Egypt. .
The Israeli ban on names could cause tensions with allies in the coming days and weeks if some foreign nationals are prevented from leaving.
The evacuation of British citizens is expected to take place in stages and over several days, with Israeli and Egyptian authorities determining who can cross and when. Public officials have provided a full list of names of UK citizens and dependents in Gaza to both sets of authorities.
Welcoming the news that the first British citizens have escaped, James Cleverly, Foreign Secretary, said: “The first British citizens have left Gaza. This is an enormously important first step.
“We are working with the Egyptian and Israeli authorities to ensure the crossing remains open so that all British citizens can reach safety in the coming days.”
