Blog

Israel’s security cabinet has approved the reopening of the Erez crossing between Israel and northern Gaza for the first time since the October 7 attack, news portal CNN has reported, quoting an Israeli official.

According to the CNN news report, the Israeli official said the crossing would be 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, CNN added in its report.

The announcement came just hours after US President Joe Biden spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and said that the future US support for the war in Gaza depends on the country’s additional actions to protect civilians and aid workers.

The Biden administration has continued to provide Israel with crucial military aid and diplomatic support for Israel’s war against Hamas.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian death toll went above 33,000 people on Thursday, with another 75,600 wounded, Gaza’s Health Ministry said.

According to the United Nations, much of the population in northern Gaza is on the brink of starvation. The top United Nations court has concluded there is a “plausible risk of genocide” in Gaza– a charge Israel strongly denies–and the UN Security Council has issued a legally binding demand for a ceasefire.

The Israel-Hamas war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists stormed into southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around 250 people hostage.