Hamas-run authorities say sick, wounded children and carers evacuated through gateway; reports say injured Hamas fighters also set to cross under terms of hostage-ceasefire deal

Thousands of people demonstrated at the Rafah border crossing on Friday, an eyewitness told Reuters, in a rare state-sanctioned protest against a proposal earlier this week by U.S. President Donald Trump for Egypt and Jordan to accept Gazan refugees.

Egypt's Al-Qahera television broadcast footage of at least two Palestinian Red Cross ambulances arriving at the crossing gate.

Hamas freed three hostages in the southern Gaza Strip on Saturday and Israel released scores of Palestinian prisoners in a fourth round of exchanges as part the Gaza ceasefire deal. The swap came as sick and wounded Palestinian children began crossing to Egypt for treatment through Gaza’s Rafah crossing in the first opening of the border since Israel captured it nearly nine months ago.

CAIRO -- Patients from the Gaza Strip entered Egypt on Saturday through the Rafah crossing, the only link between Egypt and the Palestinian enclave, Egypt's state-run Nile TV reported. They are the first group of Gazan patients entering Egypt for medical treatment via the crossing since May last year.

Palestinians have started arriving at the Rafah Crossing, which has reopened as part of the recent hostage-ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel. Footage from the scene shows children and their caregivers waiting to cross into Egypt,