Senator Mullin Involved In Getting Americans Out Of Gaza

For the first time since Israel's siege of Gaza began more than three weeks ago -- in response to the October 7 Hamas attack -- neighboring Egypt opened its border Wednesday, allowing a few hundred dual-passport holders and seriously injured Palestinians to leave the war-torn area.

A small number of Americans were also believed to have been among that group, and Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin says more Americans will be getting out in the coming days.

Many Oklahomans will remember Senator Mullin’s efforts — praised by some, panned by others — to get Americans out of Afghanistan in 2021. He says he’s now involved in helping get what’s believed to be hundreds, and perhaps, he says, as many as 2,000, Americans safely out of Gaza.

"I really haven’t slept in almost 2 days because I’ve been dealing with this," Mullin said in an interview Wednesday afternoon.

Exactly what he's been dealing with, he says, is a very complex negotiation that has life-or-death ramifications. The goal has been to get Egypt to allow the Rafah border crossing to be opened, not just to trucks carrying aid into Gaza, as it finally authorized last weekend, but to certain people who are desperate to get out of Gaza.

The United Nations says Egypt allowed about 500 foreign nationals leave Wednesday.

"We only heard of five that were Americans," Mullin said. "Supposedly, tomorrow we’re gonna have a different group of about 20 [Americans]."

Mullin says, with the full knowledge of the State Department, he is again working with the North Carolina-based nonprofit Sentinel Foundation, which he says is uniquely able to assist Americans stranded in the war zone.

"We have individuals that are actually in Gaza helping get these packs -- Am-Cit packs, American citizens groups -- and moving them to Rafah and getting them ready to bring forward."

With Israel's ground assault in Gaza only intensifying, the Biden administration welcomed today's developments.

"The situation remains extremely fluid, but this has been an important breakthrough," said State Department spokesman Matthew Miller. "And we will keep working on it to ensure that all of the U.S. citizens who wish to depart safely from Gaza can do so."

Mullin says the sooner, the better. He says he's concerned that Hamas is watching and, for propaganda purposes, just might intentionally target the crossing area and then blame it on Israel.

"I really am afraid that’s going to happen," Sen. Mullin said, "if we don’t start moving these people quick."