Foreign Office official ‘sent sad face’ to British teacher trapped in Gaza

Zaynab Wandawi, a school teacher from Manchester, has been in Gaza for more than three weeks with 10 members of her husband’s family

A Foreign Office official sent a British teacher trapped in Gaza a sad face emoji when discussing why opening the Rafah border crossing was “taking so long”.

Zaynab Wandawi, a school teacher from Manchester, has been in Gaza for more than three weeks with 10 members of her husband’s family.

But, weeks after Hamas launched a horrific terror attack on Israel, the 29-year-old said she has been unable to leave the besieged Gaza Strip via the Rafah crossing into Egypt.

Messages Ms Wandawi shared with Sky News show her pleading for help with an official in the Foreign Office, who asks whether she has food and water.

The teacher tells the official her group has “not much”, adding that they are “barely earring and drinking as there’s nothing left”.

The official goes on to say they have not heard anything about when the Rafah crossing will open, but that the Foreign Office is “really trying” to get people out of Gaza.

Ms Wandawi said she worried that officials don’t understand “how much our lives are at risk”.

The Foreign Office official then replied with a sad face emoji, saying: “I really don’t understand why they are taking so long.”

Speaking to Sky News from Gaza on Monday, Ms Wandawi said she was desperate to leave because the situation was "very scary and not safe".

"It made me feel like they don’t even consider me a British national, it made me feel insignificant to be honest," she said.

"I was really angry because each day that we’re still here there’s a higher chance we’ll never get out. It’s very scary, there are a lot of deaths. I don’t want to go into a lot of detail over the phone but it’s devastating.

"I’ve never witnessed anything like this in my life, it’s disgusting and not safe."

But it comes as Qatar brokered an agreement between Egypt, Israel, and Hamas to facilitate movement of foreign passport holders and some severely injured people out of war-torn Gaza.

Britain’s foreign secretary James Cleverly said foreign nationals will "likely" be allowed to start leaving the strip on Wednesday via the Rafah crossing into Egypt for the first time.

Mr Cleverly confirmed UK teams will assist British nationals leaving the besieged Gaza Strip.

The foreign secretary said on X: "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.

"It’s vital that lifesaving humanitarian aid can enter Gaza as quickly as possible.”

Reuters was told by a source aware of the agreement that the deal was mediated in coordination with the US.

It is not immediately clear how long the vital Rafah border crossing will remain open for evacuation, the person aware of the agreement said.

The agreement is not linked to other items currently under negotiation including the release of hostages or humanitarian pauses, the source told Reuters.

Rafah crossing is a critical passage, sole point between Egypt and the Gaza strip, through which only a “the handful of convoys” have been allowed to enter the besieged area with humanitarian aid, food and water.

In a statement to Sky News, the FCDO said: “As the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary have said, the safety of British nationals remains our top priority.

“We are working closely with Egypt and Israel to ensure all British nationals who want to leave Gaza can exit via the Rafah crossing or other routes as quickly as possible.

“The FCDO has been keeping in close contact with British Nationals in Gaza and will continue to update them on the latest status of the crossing.”