War on Gaza: Israel to reopen Erez crossing after Biden threatens to condition US support
Israel is set to take a series of steps to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza, after the US warned that its support for Israel would be conditional on "specific, concrete" steps taken to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in the enclave.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said that the Erez crossing in northern Gaza, which has been closed since it was damaged during Hamas's surprise attack on southern Israel on 7 October, would be temporarily reopened.
In a statement on Friday, it added that the port of Ashdod, which lies 40km north of Gaza, would also be used to "increase Jordanian aid through Kerem Shalom", a crossing into Gaza from southern Israel.
"Israel will allow the temporary delivery of humanitarian aid through Ashdod and the Erez checkpoint," said the statement. "This increased aid will prevent a humanitarian crisis and is necessary to ensure the continuation of the fighting and to achieve the goals of the war."
The immediate steps were approved following a meeting of Israel's security cabinet late on Thursday.
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The announcement came hours after President Joe Biden threatened to condition American support for Israel's war on Gaza if steps were not taken to protect aid workers and civilians.
In a 30-minute call with Netanyahu on Thursday, Biden "made clear the need for Israel to announce and implement a series of specific, concrete, and measurable steps to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering, and the safety of aid workers," according to a White House statement.
It added that the president "made clear that US policy with respect to Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israel’s immediate action on these steps".
Biden also said that an "immediate ceasefire is essential", and urged Israel to reach an agreement with Hamas "without delay".
'Proof is in the results'
Washington welcomed the decision to allow more aid into Gaza, but said success would be measured by an improvement in the situation on the ground.
"Really the proof is in the results, and we will see those unfold in the coming days, in the coming weeks," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday.
The Erez crossing, a pedestrian passageway, was heavily damaged after 7 October
Drag the button to see the crossing
Since the war began, the US has provided billions of dollars in military aid and diplomatic support on the world arena for Israel's campaign. Thursday's statement marked the first time it appeared to condition that support.
It comes after a US dual citizen was amongst seven aid workers with the World Central Kitchen (WCK) targeted and killed by three Israeli drone strikes in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, on Monday evening.
The strike took place just hours after the WCK team, which had coordinated its movements with the Israeli army before it was attacked, had unloaded a shipment of 100 tonnes of food aid into Gaza.
Israel admitted to carrying out the attack, which it described as an "unintended strike".
For months, the UN and other humanitarian groups have been warning of famine in northern Gaza.
In late March, 70 percent of the population was suffering from catastrophic levels of hunger, according to a recent UN-backed report.
Monday's assault came after a series of attacks on convoys and aid seekers, including the shelling of a United Nations aid truck carrying food supplies in February.
At least 400 Palestinians seeking aid have been killed by Israeli shelling, according to Palestinian health officials.
At least 196 humanitarian workers - most working for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees - have been killed in Gaza since October, according to the United Nations. Additionally, Israeli strikes on aid missions have killed several Palestinian policemen working to secure food deliveries.
The International Court of Justice ordered Israel last week, in a legally binding decision, to "ensure, without delay" that humanitarian aid is provided to Gaza, encompassing essentials such as food, water, electricity, and other fundamental necessities.
The additional provisional measures ordered by the UN's top court came amid several deaths by starvation and warnings by the UN and international NGOs of imminent "man-made" famine in the Gaza Strip due to Israel's prevention of the entry of aid through land crossings.
The court added that Palestinians in Gaza are not only facing a risk of famine, "but that famine is setting in".
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