A senior US official confirmed yesterday that Israel has agreed, at the request of the United States, to open the Kerem Shalom crossing solely for the examination and inspection of humanitarian aid delivered to Gaza through the Rafah crossing.
Washington has been discussing with the Israelis for weeks the possibility of opening the Kerem Shalom crossing to expedite the inspection process of aid trucks. The U.S. official did not mention a specific timeframe regarding the opening of the crossing. Martin Griffiths, the United Nations Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs, affirmed yesterday that there are promising signs of the imminent opening of the Kerem Shalom crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip to allow the entry of aid. Griffiths noted recent indications that key countries, especially Israel and Egypt, are becoming more open to the idea of gradually reopening the Kerem Shalom crossing.
During a press conference in Geneva, the UN official stated, “Negotiations are ongoing, and there are currently some promising signs that it could open soon.” Before the outbreak of the latest war between Israel and Hamas, 60% of the goods entering the besieged sector passed through the Kerem Shalom crossing.
This crossing has been a critical point for the delivery of goods and aid to the Gaza Strip, a region that has faced severe restrictions on the movement of people and goods due to the blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt.
The recent situation in Gaza has been described as “apocalyptic,” with escalating hostilities severely impacting humanitarian efforts. The conflict has been marked by intense bombardments across the Gaza Strip and retaliatory rocket firing by Palestinian armed groups into Israel. This has led to a significant number of casualties and widespread destruction, severely hampering the ability to provide humanitarian assistance.
The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has taken an active role in addressing this crisis. He invoked Article 99 of the U.N. Charter, a rarely used tool, to bring the matter to the attention of the Security Council and to urge for a humanitarian ceasefire. This move highlights the severity of the situation and the urgent need for international intervention to prevent further escalation and to address the humanitarian crisis.
