War in the Middle East
More help for the starving population: Israel’s army opens new crossing in the north
Trucks carrying relief supplies enter the Gaza Strip via the Kerem Shalom border post. According to Israel, goods have been delivered via a new crossing in the north since Thursday.
© Abed Rahim Khatib / DPA
The pressure on Israel to allow more aid supplies into the Gaza Strip has recently increased. According to the army, a new crossing has now been opened in the north of the coastal strip.
Where exactly the new crossing is located, how many trucks drove into the Gaza Strip and what they were carrying were not initially announced. The Israeli Cogat authority, which is responsible for contacts with the Palestinians and humanitarian aid, also confirmed the opening of the new crossing. In a video published by the army on Telegram, trucks can be seen driving very slowly over unpaved roads in the dark. Large packages wrapped in plastic can be seen on their open loading areas.
Israel is responding to international pressure – especially from the USA
Under increasing international pressure, particularly from the USA, Israel had previously announced that it would facilitate the delivery of significantly more aid supplies to the contested Palestinian territory. In this context, Defense Minister Joav Galant promised the opening of a new crossing from Israel to the north of the Gaza Strip. The situation there is particularly precarious for the remaining residents.
Initially, consideration was given to opening the Erez crossing in the north of the Gaza Strip, which was intended for people until the start of the war, to goods. However, the crossing was significantly damaged in the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by terrorists from Hamas and other groups. Many Israelis were also killed there. Media reports then spoke of a crossing between Kibbutz Zikim and the town of As-Siafa in the Gaza Strip a few kilometers west of Erez.
Region in turmoil
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Aid organizations: situation in the Gaza Strip catastrophic, famine looming
Aid organizations describe the situation as catastrophic and warn of famine. According to the Hamas-controlled health authority in the Gaza Strip, 33,634 people have died since the start of the war and more than 76,200 more have been injured.
The Gaza war was triggered by the unprecedented massacre with more than 1,200 deaths that terrorists from Hamas and other groups carried out in Israel on October 7th last year. Israel responded with massive air strikes and a ground offensive. In view of the high number of civilian casualties and the catastrophic situation in the Gaza Strip, Israel is increasingly criticized internationally.