Tuesday , December 24 2024

Israel approves reopening of Erez crossing to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza

Tel Aviv: Israel's security cabinet has approved the reopening of the Erez border crossing to allow the flow of more humanitarian aid into Gaza, CNN reported, citing an Israeli official.

An Israeli official said Thursday that the border crossing would be opened to allow the flow of more humanitarian aid into Gaza. The Israeli port of Ashdod has also been approved by the cabinet to allow more aid.

Importance of Erez Crossing

Specifically, the Erez Crossing, also known as Beit Hanoun, is a border crossing between Israel and the northern Gaza Strip. It has been reopened for the first time since the October 7 attack by Hamas.

Israel strictly controls land crossings and bans all travel from Gaza by air or sea. Before the beginning of the conflict, there were two functional crossings within the enclave: Erez for the movement of people and Kerem Shalom for goods.

US President's involvement in Israel's action

Israel's move comes hours after a phone conversation between US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as they discussed the situation in Gaza.

Saying that attacks on humanitarian workers and the overall humanitarian situation in Gaza are “unacceptable,” Biden on Thursday called on Netanyahu to implement “concrete and measurable steps” to address civilian harm and the safety of aid workers.

According to the White House, “Biden made clear the need for Israel to announce and implement a series of specific, concrete and measurable steps to address civilian damage, humanitarian suffering and the safety of aid workers. “He made clear that U.S. policy regarding Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israel’s immediate response to these steps.”

Need for immediate ceasefire

Biden underlined that an immediate ceasefire is necessary to stabilize and improve the humanitarian situation and protect innocent civilians, and he asked Netanyahu to empower his negotiators to conclude an agreement without any delay to bring the hostages home. requested.

The conflict escalated in Gaza following an October 7 attack by Hamas, where approximately 2,500 militants crossed the border from the Gaza Strip into Israel, causing casualties and capturing hostages.

Israel has described its Gaza offensive as targeting Hamas infrastructure with the goal of eliminating the entire terrorist group while attempting to minimize civilian casualties.