JERUSALEM, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- Israel announced on Tuesday that it had opened the Kissufim Crossing to allow humanitarian aid trucks to enter Gaza, aligning with a U.S.-imposed deadline for Israel to boost aid access to the war-stricken Palestinian enclave.
Israel's Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), a defense ministry unit, released photos and video showing trucks loaded with food from the World Food Program at the crossing.
The move was made "in accordance with directives from the political echelon and as part of the effort and commitment to increase the volume and routes of aid to the Gaza Strip," COGAT said in a statement. The office said the deliveries include food, water, medical supplies, and shelter equipment intended for central and southern Gaza.
"The aid entered the Gaza Strip after strict security checks at the Kerem Shalom Crossing by security inspectors from the Ministry of Defense's Border Crossings Authority," the office said.
In an Oct. 13 letter, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned that Israel's policy of severely restricting humanitarian access to Gaza could lead to U.S. legal limitations on military assistance to Israel.
The letter specified several requirements, including allowing at least 350 trucks of aid into Gaza daily, opening a fifth crossing into the blockaded area, permitting residents in Israeli-controlled coastal camps to relocate inland before winter, and ensuring access for aid groups to heavily impacted northern Gaza.
Israel currently allows approximately 150-200 trucks into Gaza daily, according to Israeli figures.
According to the Gaza media office, the Israeli strikes have resulted in over 43,550 fatalities, with about 70 percent being women and children. About 86 percent of Gaza's buildings have been destroyed, including most hospitals and universities.
Famine has already spread across the entire Gaza Strip, especially in the besieged northern enclave, according to a statement released by United Nations experts.
Israel initiated its assault on Gaza following an attack by Hamas on Israeli border communities on Oct. 7, 2023. The Hamas attack resulted in around 1,200 fatalities and the kidnapping of approximately 250 others. ■
