US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said, “It is an essential step towards improving the lives of the Palestinian people in Gaza, so that what is delivered (to the Strip) is not limited to humanitarian aid, but rather includes commercial goods that can be sold in stores and markets.”
Miller added that the first privately owned trucks entered on Saturday, and that more arrived on Monday.
Miller did not reveal any details about the quantities or the operators, but he indicated that the trucks were loaded with food supplies, especially after the food stock had been severely depleted since the outbreak of the war and Israel imposed a strict siege on the Gaza Strip in response to the attack launched by the Hamas movement on October 7.
The trucks entered Gaza from the Rafah crossing, located on the border between Egypt and the Hamas-controlled Strip.
During a visit late last week by US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Israel announced the opening of the Kerem Shalom border crossing with Gaza.
Miller said that the opening of the border crossing and the entry of trucks loaded with commercial goods are “the result of intense diplomatic (efforts)” made by American officials, including Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.
Miller continued, “The breakthroughs this week are important, but they are not enough.”
He continued, “We will continue to work closely with the governments of Israel, Egypt, and partner countries in the region to enhance the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza to meet the needs of the Palestinian people.”
The American news website Axios reported that CIA Director William Burns held talks in Warsaw with the director of the Israeli intelligence service (Mossad) and the Prime Minister of Qatar.
Qatar was the main mediator in an agreement reached last month that led to the exchange of Hamas hostages for prisoners in Israeli prisons and a humanitarian truce.
Without confirming that the meeting would be held, Miller confirmed that the United States supports reaching a new agreement that would lead to the release of more hostages held in Gaza.
Miller said, “We certainly support reaching an agreement that allows these positive results to be achieved again.”
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