Israel has approved the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip through the Kerem Shalom border crossing, the Israeli prime minister's office said on Friday.
The Cabinet said in a statement that the opening would allow Israel to meet its commitments to allow 200 trucks carrying humanitarian aid per day, set out in a hostagetaking agreement negotiated and implemented last month.
The crossing was closed after a Hamas attack on October 7 and aid deliveries were made exclusively through Gaza's Rafah crossing on the border with Egypt, which Israel says can only allow the entry of 100 trucks per day.
U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan welcomed the decision to open the border crossing, which he called a “significant step,” and said the White House hopes it will ease congestion and facilitate the delivery and distribution of humanitarian aid through Rafah become.
The World Health Organization also welcomed the move as “good news”.
Kerem Shalom, on the EgyptIsraelGaza border, is one of the main transit points for goods entering and leaving the Gaza Strip, allowing much faster transit than the Rafah border crossing just a few kilometers away.
Israel had previously agreed to allow inspection of trucks at Kerem Shalom, but previously trucks had been forced to return to Rafah and enter Gaza from Egypt, and aid groups had called for them to be allowed direct entry.
+The best content in your email for free. Choose your preferred Terra newsletter. Click here!