Israel to reopen key border crossing for Gaza aid after Biden’s warning

Israel has said it will reopen a key Gaza border crossing and increase supply of humanitarian aid at two others, after US President Joe Biden warned that continued American support depends on it taking steps to address suffering in the warzone.

A statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said it would temporarily open the Erez crossing in northern Gaza, for the first time since it was damaged on 7 October.

The heavily fortified crossing served for years as the only passenger terminal for people to move in and out of the territory, but was heavily damaged when Hamas militants stormed the facility

More aid will also be allowed in via the port of Ashdod, and Israel will increase the supply of aid from Jordan moving through the Kerem Shalom crossing.

“The increased aid will prevent a humanitarian crisis and is critical for ensuring the continuation of the fighting and achieving the war aims,” the statement said.

The announcement did not elaborate on quantities or types of items to be let in.

The White House welcomed the announcement but urged Israel to implement the steps “fully and rapidly”.

“As the President said today on the call, US policy with respect to Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israel’s immediate action on these and other steps, including steps to protect innocent civilians and the safety of aid workers,” the statement from a National Security Council spokesperson said.

Earlier, Mr Biden warned that Israel must take “immediate action” to reduce harm to civilians, and reiterated that an immediate ceasefire was “essential”.

He ordered Israel to take “specific, concrete, and measurable” steps to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering and the safety of aid workers, emphasising that strikes on humanitarian workers and the overall humanitarian situation were “unacceptable”.

The Pentagon said on Thursday that plans to build a temporary pier off the coast of Gaza to help boost the flow of aid into the territory will be on line by the end of the month or early May.

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting about attacks on humanitarian workers in Gaza and the risk of famine in the conflict-torn territory on Friday.

A UN aid convoy was scheduled to head out on Thursday night after the UN paused night operations for 48 hours, said spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

He told reporters the convoy “will hopefully make it to the north.”

“Because of what happened to World Central Kitchen, we had to pause… and regroup and reassess all sorts of factors,” he said.

With agencies