The Israeli government, which has been criticized for restricting and blocking the entry of goods into the Gaza Strip more than a month after the ceasefire began, announced on Wednesday (12th) that it would reopen the Zikim crossing in the northern Palestinian territory to allow trucks carrying humanitarian aid provided by the United Nations and other international organizations.
Kogat, the Israeli organization linked to the Ministry of Defense and responsible for coordinating internal affairs in the Palestinian territories, announced that the crossing would be “permanently” operational in October 2023, along with Kerem Shalom in southern Gaza, which has been the main entry point for supplies since the start of the war.
Kogat said all humanitarian supplies passing through Zikim are subject to strict security controls before entering the Palestinian territory. The Israeli agency added that the operation was carried out “in accordance with instructions from the political class.”
The decision to reopen the crossing came after warnings of food shortages and a worsening humanitarian crisis in the region. The United Nations agency has been pressing for months to reopen access to Israel, which has been closed since September 12. The United Nations World Food Program has since announced that it is no longer able to transport cargo to the northern region of Gaza, which is in an even more critical situation and affected by destruction, famine and internal transport difficulties.
The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said reopening is critical to speeding up supplies to the most vulnerable people. “Opening a direct route to the north is critical to ensuring adequate aid reaches people as quickly as possible,” the group stressed in a recent report.
But aid workers say restrictions and inspection procedures imposed by Israel continue to make it difficult to send essential supplies. Furthermore, the destruction of Gaza’s infrastructure and the risk of looting have made transportation within Gaza difficult.
In August, United Nations agencies reiterated that northern Gaza was facing widespread hunger, but Kogat rejected that assessment. The reopening of Zikim is expected to increase aid flows.
The Gaza Strip remains under Israeli blockade, and despite a ceasefire that began on October 10, Israeli bombing continues. The Jewish state has accused the terrorist organization Hamas of violating the agreement and justified its actions with claims of self-defense. Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority claims Tel Aviv has no interest in peace in the region.
Satellite images analyzed by the British network’s fact-checking team, BBC Verify, show that Israel has destroyed more than 1,500 buildings in the Gaza Strip, which it has controlled since the ceasefire began.
About The Author
