Israel re-opens crossing to allow aid to flow into the hard-hit northern Gaza Strip

Israel re-opened a crossing on Wednesday to allow aid to flow into the hard-hit northern Gaza Strip.

“This is the first day that we re-opened Erez crossing for a robust and continuous route for entrance of humanitarian aid into Gaza,” said Col. Moshe Tetro, head of COGAT’s Coordination and Liaison Administration to Gaza.

The U.S. has been pressuring Israel to do more to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, especially the devastated north.

International aid organizations have reported a widespread humanitarian disaster, warning that hundreds of thousands of people in northern Gaza face the risk of famine.

Before Hamas’ October 7 attack, Erez served as a passenger crossing for Palestinians, including medical patients, laborers and travelers, going in and out of Gaza. The crossing suffered heavy damage in the Oct. 7 attack and has been closed since then.

Nearly seven months of Israeli bombardment and ground offensives in Gaza have killed more than 34,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, and sparked a humanitarian catastrophe.

The Israel-Hamas war was sparked by the unprecedented Oct. 7 raid into southern Israel in which militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted around 250 hostages. Israel says the militants are still holding around 100 hostages and the remains of more than 30 others.