Israeli army claims aid is entering northern Gaza Strip via new crossing

By Abdelraouf Arnaout

JERUSALEM (AA) - The Israeli army on Friday claimed to have brought a number of food aid trucks into the northern Gaza Strip through a new land crossing for the first time since Oct. 7, when Israel launched a major offensive on Gaza and imposed a crippling blockade.

“The first humanitarian aid trucks transporting food entered through the new Northern Crossing from Israel into Gaza yesterday (Thursday) in coordination with COGOT (Coordinator of the Government Activities in the Territories), as part of efforts to enhance the humanitarian aid corridors to Gaza in general, and to the north in particular,” the Israeli army said in a statement.

“The trucks underwent thorough security checks by the security authorities of the Land Crossings Authority of the Ministry of Defense at the Kerem Shalom crossing,” it said, adding that the aid trucks were accompanied by soldiers.

The Israeli army did not clarify the source or quantities of aid or give details on the new land crossing it claimed.

There was no statement from the Hamas movement or by the government media office in the Gaza Strip on the Israeli claims.

On Thursday, Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari announced the establishment of a new land crossing in the northern Gaza Strip to “enable more aid to pass directly to civilians in the strip.” He added that 50 trucks are expected to pass daily from Jordan to Gaza.

The announcement followed a phone call last week in which US President Joe Biden reportedly told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel must open another aid crossing into northern Gaza or there would be consequences.

Israel has waged a military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas which killed some 1,200 people.

Since the offensive began, more than 33,600 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed.

Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on the seaside enclave, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.

The war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while much of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed.

Israel also stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which has urged it to do more to prevent famine in Gaza.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi