CAIRO/GAZA, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- The Rafah crossing, the only channel linking Egypt with the Gaza Strip, is open and will start receiving patients from Gaza, Governor of Egypt's North Sinai Governorate Khaled Megawer said on Friday.

"The opening of the crossing was announced earlier today. We will start receiving patients," the governor said on social media platform X, without mentioning the exact time of the passage of Gazan patients through the crossing.

The Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed that the first group of sick and injured individuals will be allowed to leave the Palestinian enclave through the Rafah crossing on Saturday.

In a press statement, the ministry called the move part of urgent humanitarian efforts to provide critically ill and wounded people with medical treatment outside the besieged territory.

"The departure of these patients will be coordinated under the supervision of the World Health Organization and other relevant authorities," the ministry added.

According to health officials, the selected patients and their companions are scheduled to gather at the Al-Shifa and Nasser medical complexes in Gaza before being transported to the crossing.

Saturday will also witness another round of hostage swap between Israel and Hamas under a ceasefire agreement between the two sides.

Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, announced on Friday that it will release three Israeli hostages on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Palestinian Prisoners Club said in a press statement that Israeli authorities will in turn release 90 Palestinian prisoners.

Also on Friday, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office said Israel has received the list of three Israeli civilian hostages expected to be released from Hamas captivity on Saturday. On the list are Israeli-French citizen Ofer Calderon, 54, Israeli-American citizen Keith Siegel, 65, and Israeli civilian Yarden Bibas, 35.

Under the ongoing ceasefire deal that halted more than 15 months of fighting, 33 hostages held by Palestinian militants in Gaza are to be freed in the first six weeks of the truce in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

Since the implementation of the ceasefire deal on January 19, 15 captives, including five Thai workers, have been released by Hamas, while 400 Palestinian detainees have so far been exchanged. Enditem

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