Israel has reopened the Kerem Shalom crossing into the Gaza Strip, restoring one of two key humanitarian aid entry points it had closed, the agency responsible for overseeing aid deliveries to the region said on Wednesday.
The Kerem Shalom crossing between Israel and Gaza has been closed since a Hamas rocket attack from Gaza on Sunday killed four Israeli soldiers in the area. On Tuesday, Israeli forces launched an incursion that closed the Rafah crossing on Gaza’s border with Egypt.
Since the war began, most aid to Gaza has been delivered through the Rafah crossing. International aid agencies and officials say Israel’s closure of the two crossings could worsen an already dire humanitarian crisis.
Israeli agency COGAT said aid trucks arrived at the Kerem Shalom crossing on Wednesday and will enter Gaza after being inspected.
While the two crossings were closed, it was unclear how much aid was entering Gaza through other routes.kogat explain On Tuesday, 60 trucks entered northern Gaza through the Erez crossing, which Israel reopened under pressure from the Biden administration after Israeli airstrikes Killed seven aid workers.
In a call with President Joe Biden on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to ensure the border crossings are reopened, according to a White House summary of the call.
Israel opened the Kerem Shalom crossing in December amid pressure from the United States to speed up the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza. However, Israeli protesters often gather at intersections, Trying to prevent aid convoys from entering the enclave hoping to put pressure on Hamas to release the hostages.
