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Some of the 20 Australian citizens, two family members and one permanent resident who were able to escape Gaza through the Rafah crossing have spoken of their ordeal in the warzone, but one who had been given permission to leave remains in the besieged enclave.
Retired teacher Abdullah Dahlan and his wife, Samah, are two of the more than 60 Australians who remain stranded in the Palestinian territory.
His name was on the list of foreign nationals allowed through the Rafah crossing when it opened overnight for the first time since the conflict in Gaza escalated on October 7, but his wife's wasn't.
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"I presented my passport and my wife's passport and they said 'no, only you can go'," he told 9News.
"I can't escape on my own and leave my wife behind."
Samah has an Australian visa but not an Australian passport. Dahlan is hoping the Australian government will be able to secure their passage out of Gaza.
"All I can hope (is) for them to try and keep trying to get me out of here," he said.
"It's such a nightmare and I would be so grateful, so thankful to Australia."
Foreign Minister Penny Wong said today Australia was "very conscious of people in this sort of situation".
"We have put to the Egyptians and others some 85 names which include citizens, permanent residents, visa holders and family members," she said.
"So we are working to ensure those family groups are able to come out.
"Obviously we don't control the border crossing and it's taken a broad international effort to get the border crossing open, it's taken weeks, I wish that were not so but I am very pleased that it has finally occurred."
Sara El-Masri, her husband and two young children were four of the Australians lucky enough to make it out of Gaza.
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"Living in this war, these past 25 days have been really difficult," she said.
"Every day we wake up in fear, every day we sleep in fear, every day we go to sleep and we say the Shahada.
"We don't know if we're going to wake up."
Mona Sakr is another Australian citizen who was in Gaza, visiting her family, when war broke out.
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"I can't describe the situation, it's bombing everywhere," she said.
"They asked us to leave Gaza to the north and unfortunately they kept on bombing all night.
"I haven't slept for the past 25 days."
While she was able to escape, her family remains in Gaza.
"Please, if you can help, all my family is still there," she said.
The Australians who crossed through Rafa are now in Cairo following a seven-hour bus trip. They'll be given free travel back home from the Egyptian capital.
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The border opening followed a deal brokered by Qatar and the United States between Egypt, Israel and Hamas.
Wong said while the government is working to get the remaining Australians out of the Palestinian territory, the situation is becoming increasingly complex as phone and internet blackouts make communicating with people on the ground more difficult.
"There are thousands of foreign nationals in Gaza. Thousands," she said.
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"I think around 350 were permitted passage finally overnight and obviously, 20 Australians plus the additional three were on that first list… but there are a lot more foreign nationals to get out.
"We hope that the parties who have broken this arrangement can continue to assure passage for civilians out of Gaza.
"We will continue to do what we can… to press for Australians to have safe passage."
The foreign minister also continued a shift in language from the last few days, criticising Israel for the number of civilian deaths inflicted in its attacks on Gaza and warning that the international community will not tolerate continuing casualties of innocent Palestinians.
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"Even in war, there are rules," she said, after acknowledging Israel's right to defend itself and confront Hamas.
"And I again would make this point: the international community will not accept ongoing civilian deaths.
"So when Israel's friends urge Israel to exercise restraint, when Israel's friends urge Israel to protect civilian lives, it is critical Israel listens.
"It matters for Israel's own security, which faces grave risks if the conflict spreads."
