Israeli Cabinet Approves Temporary Opening of Kerem Shalom Crossing
The political and security cabinet has approved the temporary opening of the Kerem Shalom crossing, a decision that has been met with both praise and criticism. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to the criticism by stating that the decision was necessary in order to comply with an agreement for the release of abductees and to ensure humanitarian aid reaches the civilian population in Gaza.
The decision comes just after the Sabbath, with many alarms being sounded in Jerusalem and the surrounding area. Meanwhile, the pursuit of terrorist Sinwar continues, with his property being destroyed in Khan Yunis.
Addressing the criticism, Prime Minister Netanyahu explained, “As part of the agreement for the release of our abductees, Israel undertook to deliver food and humanitarian aid from Egypt to the civilian population in Gaza, to the extent of 200 trucks per day.” He further stated that the Rafah crossing, which is only capable of passing 100 trucks per day, was unable to meet the requirements of the agreement. As a result, the cabinet approved the temporary unloading of trucks on the Gaza side of the Kerem Shalom crossing, instead of requiring them to return to Rafah. However, it was emphasized that only humanitarian aid from Egypt will be transferred to the Gaza Strip in this way.
The decision was welcomed by British Foreign Minister David Cameron, who took to social media to express his support. “Very happy to see Israel’s decision to open Kerem Shalom. This is an essential step towards ensuring that more life-saving aid reaches the people in Gaza,” he tweeted on the ‘X’ network.
The Israeli government has reaffirmed its commitment to the agreement and has stated that the US has committed to financing the upgrading of the Rafah crossing so that humanitarian aid can be transferred through it, subject to an Israeli security inspection.