IIsrael wants to take “immediate steps” to increase humanitarian aid to the civilian population in the Gaza Strip. The War Cabinet has authorized the government to “take immediate measures to increase humanitarian assistance” to “avoid a humanitarian crisis” and “ensure the continuation of fighting,” said a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office on Friday .
Accordingly, the port of Ashdod and the Erez border crossing would be temporarily opened, making it easier for help to reach the north of the Gaza Strip, which is particularly affected by food shortages. The aid supplies coming from Jordan via the Kerem Shalom border crossing would also be increased.
Announcement follows telephone conversation between Biden and Netanyahu
The announcement came shortly after a phone call between US President Joe Biden and Netanyahu. According to the White House, in the conversation Biden asked the Israeli head of government to take a series of “specific, concrete and measurable steps” to reduce the suffering for the people in the Gaza Strip and increase the protection of aid workers.
Future US policy on Gaza depends on how Israel implements these measures, Biden warned.
Blinken criticizes Israel's lack of protective measures
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken previously criticized Israel's measures to protect civilians in the Gaza Strip as insufficient. “Despite important steps Israel has taken to enable assistance in the Gaza Strip, the results on the ground are completely inadequate and unacceptable,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in Brussels on Thursday. There is currently no higher priority than protecting the civilian population and expanding humanitarian aid, emphasized Blinken.
In this context, Blinken referred to the fatal attack on seven employees of the aid organization World Central Kitchen, who the Israeli military killed in an air strike at the beginning of the week. The aid workers were traveling in the Gaza Strip to supply people with food. “The horrific attack on World Central Kitchen this week was not the first such incident,” Blinken said. “It has to be the last one.”
According to the US State Department, more than 200 humanitarian workers have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the war began in October 2023.
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