Israel decided to open up its tense border along the Gaza Strip on Wednesday to allow foreigners and sick Palestinians to leave the violence-torn area.

Bernard Barregg, spokesman of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Jerusalem, revealed that the Red Cross is working with Magen David Adom (MDA) to ensure medical care in Israeli for patients being evacuated from Gaza. MDA is an Israeli group which provides pro-hospital emergency medical services.

Wednesday saw four Palestinians transferred to Israeli hospitals, with three more expected to be transferred soon. The total of Palestinians set to be evacuated stands at around 50.

Barregg said most of these cases bore injuries from the infighting between Hamas and Fatah with some suffering from serious illnesses that are beyond the capacity of Gaza hospitals to treat.

According to Barregg, ICRC personnel in Gaza will visit hospitals and elect which patients to transfer, at which point the MDA will handle transportation to Israel via the Erez border crossing.

Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that the Erez crossing would be kept open so long as Palestinians needed help. It would also remain available to foreign journalists, diplomats and ordinary citizens.

Newly-appointed Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Wednesday ordered the IDF to help evacuated Palestinians in need of urgent medical care from Gaza via Erez Crossing, which prior to this had been closed after Hamas staged a violent takeover of the region.

Some 100 to 200 Palestinians have been waiting at Erez Crossing to escape Gaza in the past few days, but only a handful have been granted permission to pass into Israel.

(Xinhua News Agency June 21, 2007)