Israel has consented to the reopening of two gateway passages into Gaza following the cabinet’s endorsement of a series of “immediate steps” in response to the growing humanitarian emergency in the Strip.
For the first time since the onset of the conflict on October 7, the Erez crossing located in northern Gaza will be accessible, and the Ashdod Port will be operational to facilitate the delivery of aid, according to a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office on Friday.
Israel has approved the opening of new routes to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza.
The decision comes just hours after US President Joe Biden told Israel’s PM to prevent ‘harm and humanitarian suffering’ to Palestinian civilians if they wished for America’s continued… pic.twitter.com/xhfST0jcx5
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) April 5, 2024
The move comes after US President Joe Biden’s inaugural conversation with the Israeli Prime Minister, following the drone attack that resulted in the deaths of seven humanitarian workers in Gaza.
President Biden conveyed to Prime Minister Netanyahu that the forthcoming direction of US policy towards Israel would hinge on the Israeli government’s efforts to safeguard aid workers and civilians in Gaza. He urged Mr. Netanyahu “to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering and the safety of aid workers” as per the official summary of the call.
Concerns have emerged about the situation in Gaza evolving from a humanitarian disaster into a deliberate famine following almost half a year of conflict.
On 19 March, Volker Turk, the UN’s top human rights official, mentioned that Israeli practices might be interpreted as employing starvation as a “weapon of war,” which would constitute a war crime if confirmed. Tel Aviv has refuted these claims and disregarded the severe cautions.
The Erez crossing, a strongly secured footpath, has served as the sole point of entry and exit for individuals traveling to and from the region.
Erez Crossing, featuring the Gaza Strip in the backdrop, as observed from the southern part of Israel (REUTERS).
The Erez crossing suffered significant damage when it was breached by Hamas fighters during the “7 October” attacks and has stayed closed since then.
The move by Tel Aviv to reopen the crossings has been received positively by both the UN and the US National Security Council.
The US National Security Council noted that the “opening of humanitarian routes” occurred “at the president’s request.” Spokesperson Adrienne Watson stated that these measures “must now be fully and rapidly implemented.”
This follows the Israel Defence Forces’ decision to cancel leaves for soldiers in combat units and to disable GPS amid potential escalation with Iran.
After an attack on its consulate in Syria that killed 13, including two generals and five military advisers, Iran has promised retaliation.
GPS disruption, seen as a countermeasure to guided missiles, has led to issues with location-based services in major cities like Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, despite their distance from conflict zones.
The IDF has urged against panic buying as sales of essential wartime supplies increase. Rear Adm Daniel Hagari remarked: “There is no need to buy generators, store food and withdraw money from ATMs.”
Concerns over a possible strike from Iran have led some embassies in Israel to be put on alert and some to evacuate. You can tune in to ITVX outside UK to know all the latest happenings through Good Morning Britain every day.
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