Israel’s security Cabinet has approved the reopening of the Erez crossing to allow the flow of more humanitarian aid into Gaza. Erez Crossing, also known as Beit Hanoun, is a border crossing between Israel and the northern Gaza Strip. It is being reopened for the first time since the terror attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on the 7th of October last year.
The Israeli official said the crossing is being opened to allow more humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. The cabinet also approved using the Israeli Port of Ashdod to help transfer more aid to Gaza.
Israel tightly controlled land crossings and has banned all travel by air and sea to and from Gaza. Before the start of the conflict, there were two functional crossings within the enclave: Erez for the movement of people and Kerem Shalom for goods.
Israel’s move comes hours after US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a conversation on the phone, as they discussed the situation in Gaza. The UN welcomed the reopening of Erez crossing. Spokesperson to the UN Secretary-General, Stephane Dujarric, said this is positive news but it will have to be seen how it is implemented. He said, a humanitarian ceasefire and a massive influx of aid are needed in the war-torn Gaza Strip.
The conflict in Gaza escalated after the 7th of October attack by the Palestinian group Hamas, where about 2,500 terrorists breached the border into Israel from the Gaza Strip, leading to casualties and the seizure of hostages. Israel has characterised its actions as targeting Hamas’ infrastructure with the goal of eliminating the entire terror group while making efforts to minimise civilian casualties.
