Israel reopens Zikim crossing to allow aid into Northern Gaza
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Jerusalem: Israel announced on Wednesday that it has reopened the Zikim crossing to allow humanitarian aid trucks into northern Gaza.
“Today, the Zikim crossing has been opened for the entry of humanitarian aid trucks into the Gaza Strip,” stated the office of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), a body under Israel’s Defence Ministry responsible for implementing the government’s civilian and humanitarian policies in the Palestinian territories.
The statement added that the aid, delivered by the United Nations and other international organisations, will undergo “thorough security inspections” by the Land Crossings Authority of the Defence Ministry, following a “directive of the political echelon.”
The UN and international aid agencies have long urged Israel to reopen crossings to northern Gaza to ensure more supplies reach the war-affected region, Xinhua reported. In late October, the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs noted that “the opening of direct crossings to the north is vital to ensure that sufficient aid reaches people as soon as possible.”
Aid deliveries to Gaza have been slowed by intensive Israeli security inspections and strict restrictions on permitted goods, humanitarian officials say. Even after trucks enter the enclave, distribution remains difficult due to widespread infrastructure damage and the risk of looting.
Since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect on October 10, the UN and its partners have fed more than one million people in Gaza. Nutrition sites have reopened, hospitals are treating more patients, roads have been cleared, and vital immunisation programmes have resumed.
“One month after the Gaza ceasefire, we are continuing to seize every opportunity to save lives,” said Tom Fletcher, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator.
With IANS inputs