Israel will open the Kerem Shalom Crossing to inspect humanitarian aid trucks in the coming days. However, the trucks must still enter Gaza via the Rafah crossing with Egypt.
The Kerem Shalom Crossing, located at the junction of the Gaza Strip–Israel border and the Gaza–Egypt border, has been closed since the start of the war on Oct. 7, which followed a bloody mass assault on southern Israel by Hamas terrorists.
This move is meant to facilitate an increase in aid trucks entering the Strip. Israel currently inspects the trucks at the smaller Nitzana Crossing with Egypt before they make their way to Rafah.
The Biden administration is pressuring Israel to reopen Kerem Shalom fully but Jerusalem is rebuffing the requests, Politico reported on Wednesday.
“We have been engaged with Israel to enable a surge of humanitarian assistance through multiple mechanisms and options, including Kerem Shalom,” a U.S. official said.