Cairo, Nov 5 (IANS): Egypt has been receiving 40 to 50 wounded Palestinians on average daily from Gaza for treatment since November 1, Egypt's Health Minister Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar has said.

All the patients entered through the Rafah crossing, and most of them were in serious condition, he told a press conference held at Al-Arish Hospital in the North Sinai Province, Xinhua news agency reported.

"At least 60 per cent of the injured were children and women, some of whom lost limbs, in addition to cases with shrapnel injuries in the brain, eyes, and lungs," he noted.

Hospitals in the North Sinai Province are ready to receive wounded Palestinians, he said, noting that some cases will be transferred to hospitals in the provinces of Port Said, Ismailia, and Cairo when necessary.

Abdel-Ghaffar pointed out that about 150 ambulances stand by near the Rafah crossing and in other parts of the province.

On November 1, Egypt started to receive wounded Gazans via the Rafah crossing for the first time since Israel launched its deadly bombardment on the besieged Palestinian enclave earlier in October.

The death toll of Palestinians from Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has reached 9,488 with 23,000 wounded, according to Palestinian health officials on Saturday.