Israel has announced plans to construct a new land crossing into northern Gaza to address the severe starvation crisis in the region. This comes after initial promises to open the Erez crossing. The new crossing is expected to handle up to 50 aid trucks per day, with the first trucks already having crossed, according to Israeli officials.
In addition, Israel has agreed to allow the use of the Ashdod deep water port located nearby, as well as permitting more aid from Jordan to enter via the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Gaza. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has stated a goal of gradually increasing aid deliveries to pre-war levels of 500 trucks per day.
However, the number of trucks entering Gaza has fluctuated over the past week, with only 147 trucks entering on Thursday. This follows the tragic killing of seven aid workers by the Israeli military on 1 April, prompting the US to urge Israel to prevent civilian harm and humanitarian suffering.
Israel imposed a blockade on Gaza after Hamas attacked Israeli communities, resulting in the deaths of many civilians. The ongoing conflict has led to a dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, with reports of children dying from malnutrition.
Despite these challenges, efforts are being made to increase aid deliveries to Gaza. However, humanitarian agencies and other countries have criticized Israel for not doing enough to ensure that aid reaches those in need. Accusations of using starvation as a weapon of war have been made against Israel.
As the crisis in Gaza continues, the international community is closely monitoring the situation and urging for more effective aid distribution to alleviate the suffering of the people in Gaza.