About 150 Palestinian-Americans evacuated from the Gaza Strip Sunday after Israel stepped up its deadly airstrikes - bringing the death toll to 171 and raising fears that a ground invasion is imminent. More than 1,000 have been wounded in the airstrikes, Gaza’s health ministry said. Several Israelis have been wounded, but there have been no fatalities, Israel said.
Palestinians with foreign passports, including dual American citizens, began leaving Gaza through the Erez border crossing Sunday. “My body is leaving Gaza but my heart will always be here,” said Akram Mustasha, from Houston, Texas, who had been in the area on summer vacation until violence became unbearable. Rawan Mohanna, a 21-year-old chemistry major at the University of Texas who was in the area for a family wedding, said: "We are so fortunate ... that we have the right to travel. People in Gaza, they can't even leave, and that's such a basic right.”
In-Depth
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Social
- Ayman Mohyeldin, Lawahez Jabari and Alastair Jamieson
The Associated Press contributed to this report
Editorial note: An earlier version of this story mistakenly said 300 people were evacuated.