Erez Border Crossing Into Northern Gaza Still Not Open for Aid Despite Israeli Commitment

 

Israel has been allowing more aid trucks to enter the south but the UN disputes the figures

by Dave DeCamp April 9, 2024 at 3:07 pm ET 

CategoriesNewsTagsGaza, Israel

Israel’s Erez border crossing into northern Gaza has still not been opened for aid deliveries despite a commitment Israel made last week to do so following a call between President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, El Pais reported on Tuesday.

Biden told Netanyahu to take more action to allow aid into Gaza following the Israeli killing of seven workers for the World Central Kitchen, who were hit by several Israeli missiles while traveling along a pre-approved route.

After the Biden-Netanyahu call, the Israeli cabinet approved the opening of Erez and the use of the Israeli port of Ashdod as a hub for humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza. But, according to the El Pais report, Israel has yet to fulfill either commitment.

The Israeli government said 468 aid trucks were allowed into Gaza on Tuesday, the highest number since October 7, and 419 entered the Strip on Monday. But UN officials are disputing the numbers and say most of the trucks being counted are only half full when they are inspected by Israel.

The aid is only being allowed in mainly through Egypt’s Rafah border crossing and, to a lesser extent, the Kerem Shalom crossing. Both connect to southern Gaza, and it’s unclear how much food aid is getting into the north, where Palestinians are facing the worst food shortages.

Jens Laerke, spokesman for the UN’s humanitarian agency, said food aid has been subject to the most restrictions, demonstrating that Israel is purposely starving civilians. “Food convoys that should be going particularly to the north, where 70 percent of people face famine conditions, are … three times more likely to be denied than any other humanitarian convoys with other kinds of material,” Laerke said.

Despite the starvation blockade and huge number of civilian casualties in Israel’s bombing campaign, the Biden administration continues to provide military and political support for the genocidal campaign in Gaza. The State Department has even claimed there’s no evidence Israel is violating international law or restricting humanitarian aid.

https://news.antiwar.com/2024/04/09/erez-border-crossing-into-northern-gaza-still-not-open-for-aid-despite-israeli-commitment/