Israel has announced it is opening new routes for humanitarian deliveries into Gaza after being urged to by the US.
The Erez Crossing into northern parts of the Gaza Strip will be opened for the first time since the Hamas attacks of October 7 – and aid will temporarily be allowed to flow through Ashdod Port.
Israeli officials have also said they are planning to increase the amount of aid from Jordan moving through the Kerem Shalom crossing.
“This increased aid will prevent a humanitarian crisis and is necessary to ensure the continuation of the fighting and to achieve the goals of the war,” a spokesman for the Israeli government said.
During a call on Thursday, Joe Biden had told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to immediately let more trucks carrying humanitarian aid into Gaza, according to two US officials.
Sky’s US correspondent Mark Stone said allowing aid through Ashdod “will be a game-changing moment”.
“Remember the Americans had been forced to announce the construction of a temporary port off the Gaza shoreline to receive aid. Now, it can come from Cyprus into a fully functioning port.”
He also said opening the Erez Crossing “will be another game-changing moment,” adding: “Aid arriving in Ashdod can then be driven the 20 miles south to Erez and across into the strip.”
On streamlining the movement of aid through the Kerem Shalom crossing, he said: “It’s not clear precisely what this will look like, but I am told it could involve military trucks from Jordan being allowed straight into Gaza.
“Remember, at the moment all aid must go through bottlenecks in the south exacerbated by rigorous Israeli security checks which the Americans and aid agencies say are over the top.”
Analysis: Israel’s decision to ease aid flows is significant
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‘This is humiliation’
Routes must be ‘rapidly implemented’
The US National Security Council has welcomed Israel’s plans to increase aid flowing into Gaza.
However, it is unclear when these humanitarian routes will open – with American officials calling for this to be “fully and rapidly implemented”.
Spokesperson Adrienne Watson warned: “US policy with respect to Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israel’s immediate action on these and other steps, including steps to protect innocent civilians and the safety of aid workers.”
She also expressed hope that there will be a “significant increase in humanitarian assistance reaching civilians in dire need throughout Gaza over the coming days and weeks”.
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UK ‘will hold Israel to account’
The deaths of seven aid workers earlier this week – including three British nationals – had led some charities to suspend their operations.
Lord Cameron told the Mail that Mr Netanyahu and other senior ministers “know how serious this issue is and how they have got to get to the bottom of it and frankly make sure it never happens again”.
‘We will hold Israel to account,” the foreign secretary added. “That is what the transparent full inquiry is all about. When these things happen even on a battlefield… they have consequences.”
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He declined to say if the UK is confident Israel is acting within international law – or if arms sales might be suspended.
Israel Defence Forces is due to offer an update on their investigation into that airstrike later today.
Doonited Affiliated: Syndicate News Hunt
This report has been published as part of an auto-generated syndicated wire feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been modified or edited by Doonited
