The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office announced on Friday that Israel has approved the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip through the Kerem Shalom crossing.
The Cabinet said in a statement that the opening will allow Israel to fulfill its obligations to allow the entry of 200 trucks of humanitarian aid daily, which was stipulated in the hostage agreement that was negotiated and implemented last month.
The crossing was closed after a Hamas attack on October 7, and aid was delivered exclusively through Gaza’s Rafah crossing on the border with Egypt, which Israel says can only handle 100 trucks per day.
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan welcomed the decision to open the crossing, which he described as an “important step,” saying that the White House hopes this will ease congestion and help facilitate the delivery and distribution of humanitarian aid through the Rafah crossing.
The World Health Organization also praised the move, calling it “good news.”
Kerem Shalom, located on the border between Egypt, Israel and Gaza, is one of the main crossing points for goods entering and leaving Gaza, allowing for a much faster crossing than the Rafah crossing, which is only a few kilometers away.
Israel had previously agreed to allow inspection of trucks at the Kerem Shalom crossing, but the trucks were previously forced to return to Rafah and cross into Gaza from Egypt, and aid groups called for them to be allowed direct entry.
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