Israel Reopens Kerem Shalom Crossing For Aid To Enter Gaza

Two days after Israel closed the Kerem Shalom Crossing after a deadly rocket attack, the border crossing has been reopened for aid to reach Gaza Strip, according to The Times of Israel.

The rocket strike which originated from Gaza at a ground near the Kerem Shalom Crossing claimed the lives of four soldiers on Sunday. Hamas had claimed the responsibility for the attack.

The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) of Israel announced that the crossing was reopened in the morning to allow trucks to enter Gaza, as per the "directives of the political echelon", reported The Times of Israel.

Israel has continued checking of aid before it enters Gaza, said COGAT. The White House said on Tuesday that Israel gave assurances that it would open the crossing.

The Israel Prime Minister's office reaffirmed that the country will continue it military operations in Rafah to "exert military pressure on Hamas".

The Israeli military had announced last week that it had shut the Karem Abu Salem gate, or the Kerem Shalom Crossing, to aid convoys. According to Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, the attack was targeted at a group of Israeli forces near the border.

As many as 10 rockets were spotted by the Israeli army to have been fired from Gaza's southern city of Rafah into the area. The crossing is one of the primary route for supplies and aid to enter the Gaza Strip.

On Tuesday, the US said that the closure of Kerem Shalom and Rafah Crossing amid the Israeli offensive in the region caused a set back to the delivery of humanitarian aid.

The US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said during a press conference on Tuesday, "Certainly, the closing of Kerem Shalom and the closing of Rafah set back the delivery of humanitarian assistance. Now, to some extent, the full answer to that question depends on what happens next and whether they're quickly reopened. And Israel has committed to reopening Kerem Shalom tomorrow - we're working to make sure that that actually happens - so humanitarian assistance can continue to come through."

However, Miller clarified by saying that "Kerem Shalom didn't close just because of an action by Israel; it closed because it was bombed by Hamas."

"We want to see it reopened as soon as possible. They've said they'll do it tomorrow. Same thing with Rafah. They said that Rafah will reopen for the delivery of fuel, which is incredibly important for the desalinization of water, it's incredibly important to fueling the trucks that deliver humanitarian assistance once it's inside Gaza, and it's incredibly important for running bakeries that deliver bread for the population there that needs it so much," Miller said, adding that the US would like to see it "fully reopened."

Miller further noted that Rafah is also an entry point for humanitarian workers that come in, and a point of exit for those who come out of the crossing.

"It is the entry point for humanitarian workers that come in. It is the exit point for people that come out of Rafah. So it's important that gate be open not just for the delivery of humanitarian assistance but so that humanitarian workers can come in and out of Gaza to do the important work that they do every day," he added.

Also Read: Israel-Hamas War: Multiple Explosions Rock Southern Gaza's Rafah Area