Tue Nov 12 13:00:35 UTC 2024: ## Israel Opens New Aid Crossing into Gaza Ahead of US Deadline

**Gaza City, November 14** – In a move seemingly aimed at alleviating US pressure, Israel has opened a new aid crossing into the Gaza Strip, named “Kissufim”, just one day before a US-imposed deadline to improve humanitarian conditions in the war-ravaged territory.

The announcement, made jointly by the Israeli army and COGAT, the defense ministry agency responsible for civilian affairs in the Palestinian territories, states that the crossing will facilitate the delivery of food, water, medical supplies, and shelter equipment to central and southern Gaza.

The opening comes after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned Israel in October that it had until November 13 to improve aid delivery to Gaza or risk the withholding of some military assistance from the United States.

The US ultimatum, delivered weeks before the US presidential election, underscored growing concerns within the Biden administration about Israel’s handling of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza following the October 7 Hamas attack. While Biden has repeatedly urged Israel to deliver more humanitarian aid and protect civilians, he has largely refrained from using leverage like cutting off weapons.

The Kissufim crossing, located near a kibbutz across from southern Gaza, has been largely inactive since Israel’s withdrawal from the territory in 2005. The opening of the crossing marks a significant development in the ongoing effort to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, where over 43,603 people have been killed, most of them civilians, in the aftermath of Israel’s retaliatory campaign.

The impact of this new crossing on the flow of aid and the overall humanitarian situation in Gaza remains to be seen.

Read More