The United States has pledged to accelerate its delivery UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters to Australia's armed forces after a fatal crash forced the grounding of the ADF's Taipan fleet.

Defence Minister Richard Marles confirmed the delivery of the helicopters will be sped up after he met US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin in Washington on Tuesday (Wednesday AEDT).

The 40 Black Hawks are replacing Australia's MRH-90 Taipan helicopters on a faster-than-normal timeline, following the crash of an MRH-90 off Queensland in July.

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All four crew were killed and the tragedy led to the grounding of all the Defence force's Taipan helicopters.

Marles said the Black Hawks would be delivered to Australia sooner than expected, but refused to give details about the timeline.

They are estimated to cost the federal government $2.8 billion.

"Not going into specifics, but the number and timing has been sped up," he said.

He said the agreement aimed to close capability gaps for the ADF created by the grounding of the Taipans.

"This will make a difference in ensuring that we move to the new capability as quickly as possible, and that we minimise capability gaps," he said.

Before the deadly crash off North Queensland, the Taipans were scheduled to be retired from service by December 2024.

Investigations into the incident are continuing.

"We've been completely clear that it is a capability challenge that we've grounded the fleet and made clear that we won't be flying [the MRH-90] again," Marles said.

A number of Australians who have been trapped in Gaza have been able to cross into Egypt after the crucial Rafah border crossing opened for the first time after more than three weeks of siege.

The first civilians – dozens of dual passport holders and seriously injured – were allowed to leave Gaza, where Israeli airstrikes pounded a refugee camp for the second day.

At least 20 Australians had been among the 300 that crossed the border overnight.

The opening of the crossing into Egypt has spurred hope that the almost 100 Australians trapped in the besieged enclave will be able to leave as part of the sanctioned exodus.

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At least 34 Australians are named in a spreadsheet of foreign nationals approved to enter Egypt via the Rafah crossing.

Hundreds of foreign nationals were waiting at the Rafah border crossing in Gaza on Wednesday morning (night AEDT), after a deal was reportedly brokered to bring them out.

Jordan said the process of evacuating its citizens had begun, while Egyptian state-affiliated Al-Qahera news reported that the first group of Egyptian dual nationals had crossed the border.

Three sources close to the matter have told CNN that up to 500 foreigners are expected to cross out of Gaza at Rafah, in what would be a significant breakthrough following weeks of Israeli airstrikes across the densely populated strip that have killed thousands and sparked a humanitarian crisis.

In an initial update on Wednesday afternoon (Thursday morning AEDT), Palestinian authorities said 110 foreign passport holders had departed Gaza. It is not yet clear if all those foreign passport holders have crossed into Egypt.

By mid-afternoon, a spokesman for the Palestinian Crossings Authority said six buses carrying 335 foreign passport holders had left Gaza through the Rafah crossing into Egypt.

The authority said the plan was for more than 400 foreign passport holders to leave for Egypt. Egypt has said it will not accept an influx of Palestinian refugees because of fears Israel will not allow them to return to Gaza after the war.

Their exit follows a deal brokered by Qatar between Israel, Hamas and Egypt, in coordination with the US, that would allow for the release of foreign nationals and critically injured civilians from Gaza, according to sources familiar with the talks.

The agreement is separate from any hostage negotiations, the source added.

Meanwhile, Al-Jazeera television, one of the few media outlets still reporting from northern Gaza, aired footage of devastation in the Jabaliya refugee camp near Gaza City and of several wounded people, including children, being brought to a nearby hospital.

The Hamas-run government said the strikes killed and wounded many people, but the exact toll was not yet known.

The Al-Jazeera footage showed nearly identical scenes as the day before, with dozens of men digging through the gray rubble of demolished multistory buildings in search of survivors.

The opening of the crossing raises hope that the 88 Australians who are in the Gaza Strip will be able to leave the territory.

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The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has been in contact with those citizens to tell them about the potential of the border opening today.

"The Australian government is assisting 88 individuals in Gaza, including Australian citizens, permanent residents and immediate family members," a DFAT spokesperson said before the crossing opened.

"We understand the situation is extremely distressing for them and their loved ones.

"The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is communicating with all individuals registered with us in Gaza about departure options, including to make them aware of the possibility of the opening of the Rafah border on 1 November.

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"Consular officials in Cairo are ready to provide support to those Australians and their family members who cross into Egypt.

"Australia continues to work with authorities and support international efforts to establish a safe passage corridor both for humanitarian supplies and for Australians and their family members who want to depart Gaza."

But communicating with the Australians on the ground is becoming increasingly difficult, with phone and internet connectivity in Gaza once again cut off.

Internet access advocacy group NetBlocks.org has told the Associated Press that the territory "is in the midst of a total or near-total telecoms blackout" in line with the blackout imposed over the weekend.

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Connectivity was previously cut from late Friday (early Saturday AEDT) to early Sunday, coinciding with the entry of large numbers of ground troops into Gaza in what Israel described as a new stage in the war.

Rafah is the only Gazan border crossing not controlled by Israel. While it has been opened to allow limited aid convoys into the enclave, no people have been allowed out of Gaza through the crossing since the start of the recent conflict escalation. 

Egyptian military personnel and tanks were seen near Rafah before the opening of the border.

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In addition to foreign nationals, 81 severely wounded Palestinians are set to be allowed out of Gaza through the crossing.

An Egyptian border official told CNN the civilians from Gaza will be allowed to travel for treatment in hospitals in Egypt.

The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they are not authorised to speak to the media, said the patients were "seriously injured" and the Rafah border crossing is set to open on Wednesday morning (tonight AEDT) to allow them to pass.

The 81 patients are currently undergoing treatment in hospitals across Gaza, many of whom require surgical intervention in operating rooms that is not currently available in Gaza, the director of Al Shifa Hospital, Dr Mohammed Abu Silmiyeh, told CNN.

They will be discharged from the hospitals in Gaza and then complete their treatments in a field hospital in Egypt's Sheikh Zuweid city, he added.

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The director of the Egyptian Red Crescent in North Sinai, Khaled Zayed, also confirmed the location of the field hospital to CNN, saying Egypt is "ready to receive them".

The news comes as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza escalates in the face of Israel's siege.

Already one of the most densely populated places on the planet, hundreds of thousands of Gazans have left the north of the territory to flee Israel's developing ground assault and air strikes.

Overnight, the Israeli military attacked a refugee camp in northern Gaza, killing a high number of civilians, including children, in order to strike a senior Hamas commander.

A new plan which aims to ensure all Australians diagnosed with cancer get the same treatment – no matter where they live, what kind of cancer they have or their background – has been launched by the federal government.

Health sector figures say the wide-ranging initiative aims to improve prevention, screening, treatment and management of all types of the disease which is the nation's biggest killer, taking the lives of 135 Aussies every day.

Cancer Australia CEO Professor Dorothy Keefe told 9news.com.au the plan was developed after asking patients what they wanted.

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"At the moment we have some of the best cancer outcomes in the world," Keefe said.

"But that's not true for everybody.

"So there are certain different cancers that don't have the best outcome, certain priority populations that don't have the best outcomes.

"The aim of the plan is to improve it for everyone, wherever they are in Australia."

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Two years to be diagnosed

It took two years for former teacher Ray Suttie, 75, to be diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Despite the grandfather, from Ballarat in regional Victoria, registering elevated levels on the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test which can flag prostate cancer, no follow-up was done.

When he queried it, he was told his GP had left.

After struggling to get another GP to follow up, he did eventually get a diagnosis, but almost two years had passed since that initial test.

He believes if he had been in a city he would have been diagnosed faster.

"There's only a smaller amount of urologists to see in Ballarat," he said.

"In the city, there's a stack of them."

Once Suttie was finally diagnosed, his local hospital didn't have the ability to perform keyhole surgery, which meant his recovery took much longer.

Luckily, the cancer – which is the most commonly diagnosed in Australian men – hadn't spread and he has recovered.

Suttie said health authorities must include better provision of GPs in regional and rural areas.

"If you're in a country town in NSW, Victoria, you've got to get an appointment with a GP – and there's no GPs," he said.

Health Minister Mark Butler said Australia has some of the best cancer outcomes in the world – but not for everyone.

"The burden of cancer is increasing, with more than 164,000 Australians estimated to be diagnosed this year," Butler said.

"Our Australian Cancer Plan responds to patients' concerns that the health system is hard to navigate and will ensure no one falls through the gaps."

Do you have a story? Contact journalist Sarah Swain at ss****@******om.au

Charity Movember will also be involved.

Famous for encouraging men to grow moustaches in November, it will join Monash University in a $17.5 million plan to share the experiences of cancer patients.

It is estimated around two in five Aussies will be diagnosed with cancer by the age of 85.

"Australians who are diagnosed with cancer expect that their treatment teams will have the best possible information on hand, to support the best possible outcomes," Movember CEO Michelle Terry said.

"By providing a world-first platform for clinicians to understand the outcomes and lived experiences of patients, we can rapidly advance personalised cancer care; bridging the gap between evidence and clinical practice to improve patient outcomes."

The new plan will complement a scheme to tackle cancer in indigenous communities.

First Nations Australians are almost one and a half times more likely to die from cancer compared to non-Indigenous Australians.

About 1000 firefighters are facing an unpredictable and quickly evolving situation in Queensland with more than 80 fires still burning in the state.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said many of the 83 fires burning across the state are under control but fire authorities are still concerned about several areas.

Emergency warnings are in place for four suburbs including Cherry Gully near Warwick, Silver Valley and Watsonville near Herberton.

The situation can change rapidly. Get the most up-to-date information on the QFES website.

Meanwhile, residents in seven communities were told to prepare to leave this afternoon including Carnarvon Gorge, Buckland, Consuelo, Rewan, Kinkuna, Goodwood and parts of Colosseum.

Residents in five communities have been told it is not safe to return to The Glen, Silverwood, Dalveen, Colosseum and Mount Tom near Miriam Vale.

Palaszczuk said two properties have been impacted in the Wallangarra area.

Authorities are monitoring the water supply in the area and power is expected to be restored in the next 24 to 48 hours.

There are 84 firefighters travelling from Victoria to central and south-west Queensland, while there are 27 fire crews coming from New Zealand in the next few days.

Palaszczuk said emergency assistance payments are being rolled out to residents as communities start to get back on their feet.

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Some residents have been evacuated from their towns while others have chosen to stay.

Fran Thompson from The Glen chose to stay at her property despite the fact that others were evacuating.

"Police came and said for us to evacuate but we've got our sprinklers going around the house and we felt that it was safer to stay," Thompson said.

"Thirty-five years I've been here now and there's never been a fire come through like this.

"The ferocity of it up near Dalveen yesterday, that was just incredible."

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A 10-year-old boy has died after being trapped under a lift at a school in Sydney's Upper North Shore.

Police said emergency services were called to St Lucy's School in Wahroonga to find a 10-year-old boy trapped under a lift.

Fire and Rescue NSW crews tried to remove the boy from under the lift but he died at the scene.

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"Police have established a crime scene and a recovery operation is continuing," police said.

A spokesperson for the school confirmed the death in a statement to media and said the school would be closed until further notice.

"St Lucy's School is very sad to confirm the tragic death of one of our students this afternoon," it said.

"We are cooperating with investigating police and are not able to make any further statement today.

"The school will be closed to students until further notice.

"We ask for privacy and space for our staff and families to grieve at this difficult time as we remember our beautiful student."

A report will be prepared for the coroner.

St Lucy's School is a primary school and high school for children with a range of disabilities, the school's website says.

Bushfire conditions have eased in New South Wales, with most fires downgraded to advice levels, but one still burning out of control. 

The bushfire that threatened close to 6800 residents in Tenterfield is still burning out of control at a watch and act level, however, the town has been spared from an ember attack.

The bushfire has become worse on the western side of the blaze, threatening homes near the New England Highway and north of Taraban Road.

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Residents in Tenterfield, Jennings and Tarban have been told to monitor conditions and remain alert after they were told to leave immediately earlier today.

"People in Wallangarra in Queensland and Jennings in New South Wales should continue to monitor conditions and stay up to date in case the situation changes," FRNSW said on their website.

"Know what you will do if the situation changes."

"Residents of Tarban should monitor conditions and take the advice of firefighters on the ground."

Four homes were lost in bushfires in Jennings and Wallangarra overnight.

Strong westerly winds forced the blaze into a different direction today, sparing the town of Wallangarra just over the border.

Four other fires which were burning at a watch and act level earlier today have been downgraded to advice level.

Fire crews have been backburning south of the Tenterfield LGA today to prevent any more flames from sparking, as the main town was issued with an ember attack late yesterday afternoon.

Mayor Bronwyn Petrie said residents remained concerned as the fires are downgraded to watch and act and advice levels.

"Some are very stoic, some are very on edge, some were on edge before the fire season even started because of what we went through four years ago when the black summer bushfires started here," she told 9News.

Conditions started to ease this morning as fires were downgraded to watch and act level from emergency level.

The RFS earlier confirmed that additional crews from Sydney were on their way to the Tenterfield LGA to support firefighters in the area.

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"As conditions deteriorated yesterday across Tenterfield fire grounds, a request for additional crews was put in place with 30 members flying out from Sydney," NSWRFS said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

"These crews will support local firefighters and we extend our thanks to those who have responded."

There were also reports that a Ffire truck rolled on its back while travelling between two fires, trapping the crew inside overnight.

The team has been rescued and taken to hospital for precautionary treatment. One firefighter suffered minor injuries from the incident.

There are 65 fires burning across the state, with one burning at a watch and act level.