The first foreign nationals began leaving Gaza on Wednesday, raising hopes for 200 Britons trapped inside the territory since war broke out between Israel and Hamas.

Dozens of the most critically-wounded people were taken through the Rafah border crossing by ambulance, under a Qatari-mediated deal between Egypt and Hamas, which the US had accused of blocking foreigners from leaving.

It was the first time that people were allowed to leave Gaza since Hamas launched its terror attacks on Israel on Oct 7, killing more than 1,400 Israelis.

James Cleverly, the Foreign Secretary, said: “The Rafah crossing is likely to open today for a first group of foreign nationals.

“UK teams are ready to assist British nationals as soon as they are able to leave.”

Diplomats have been working to free some 6,000 foreign nationals and dual citizens believed to be trapped inside the besieged Gaza Strip.

Plans have been discussed to allow 500 of them to leave on Wednesday, and 1,000 a day thereafter, the Financial Times reported.

The Foreign Office said it was working with Israeli and Egyptian officials, who have agreed on a list of people that are allowed to leave Gaza.

“As a result, it is likely the departure of British Nationals from Gaza will take place in stages over the coming days,” a spokesman said.

British officials have been dispatched to the border area to provide medical and administrative support to any UK citizens allowed to leave Gaza.

Austria’s foreign department said it was “communicating with all individuals registered with us in Gaza about departure options, including to make them aware of the possibility of the opening of the Rafah border on Nov 1”.

The deal to let people out was brokered between Egypt, Israel and Hamas, with Qatar acting as the mediator.

The agreement to free foreign nationals from Gaza has been held up by a dispute between Egypt and Hamas over where to position United Nations monitors.

Cairo insisted that the UN should manage the evacuation, with its officials stationed on the Hamas-controlled side of the border.

But the terrorists wanted them to be positioned on the Egyptian side of the frontier.

Western governments have been working with Egypt to ensure the safe departure of foreign and Palestinians with dual citizenship through the Rafah crossing since Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel.

Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, stressed the importance of “urgently ensuring British nationals and others can leave Gaza, via the Rafah crossing or other routes” in a phone call with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday.

The evacuation of 81 wounded Palestinians from Gaza via the Rafah crossing started on Wednesday morning.

Witnesses saw a convoy 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.

Ashram al-Qudra, a spokesman for the Hamas-controlled health ministry, said: “There are hundreds of thousands who need to go out.”

He added that the initial patients sent to Egypt “are dangerous and complex cases for whom there is no treatment and who can be transported”.

The injured arrived into Egypt in Palestinian ambulances before being transferred to local vehicles and taken to a field hospital about 10 miles from the crossing.