Israel says it will reopen crossing into Gaza as pressure builds to get more aid in
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Palestinian boys scraping up flour from the ground after a bag fell from an aid truck in Deir el-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip, on Nov 5.
PHOTO: AFP
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JERUSALEM - The Israeli military said on Nov 8 it was planning to reopen the Kissufim crossing into central Gaza to increase the flow of aid into the southern end of the Gaza Strip.
The move comes amid growing international pressure on Israel to get more aid into Gaza, where aid agencies have warned of a gathering humanitarian crisis in the north of the enclave, where Israeli troops have been conducting a major operation for more than a month.
The new crossing would be opened following engineering work over recent weeks by army engineers to build inspection points and paved roads, the army said.
In October, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin wrote to Israeli officials demanding concrete measures to address the worsening situation in the Palestinian enclave.
The letter, which was posted to the internet by a reporter from Axios, gave the Israeli government 30 days to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Among the demands included in the letter was for the opening of a fifth crossing into Gaza. REUTERS
