IDF says key Gaza crossing reopened but UN says no aid has entered

The Kerem Shalom crossing between Gaza and Israel was closed over the weekend after a Hamas rocket attack killed four Israeli soldiers nearby, and on Tuesday an Israeli tank brigade captured the nearby Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt, forcing its closure.

The two facilities are the main entry terminals for food, medicine and other supplies necessary for the survival of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million Palestinians.

The Israeli raid does not appear to be the start of the full-scale invasion of the city of Rafah that Israel has repeatedly promised.

But aid officials have warned that the prolonged closure of the two checkpoints could lead to a breakdown in humanitarian operations, worsening the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where the UN says “total starvation” is already underway in the north.

The United States suspended the delivery of bombs to Israel last week amid concerns that Israel was moving closer to a decision to launch a full-scale assault on Rafah, further widening divisions between the two close allies.

The US says it is concerned about the fate of some 1.3 million Palestinians crammed into Rafah, most of whom have fled fighting elsewhere.

Israel maintains that Rafah is Hamas’s last stronghold and that a wider offensive there is needed to destroy the group’s military and governance capabilities.

Meanwhile, the United States, Egypt and Qatar are stepping up efforts to close the gaps in a possible deal for at least a temporary ceasefire and the release of some of the dozens of Israeli hostages still held by Hamas.

Israel links the threatened operation in Rafah to the fate of these negotiations.

CIA chief William Burns, who is touring the region to negotiate a cease-fire agreement, met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, a US official said, speaking on condition of anonymity, to discuss the closed-door talks.

With the capture of Rafah, Israel now controls all of Gaza’s crossing points for the first time since it pulled troops and settlers out of the territory nearly two decades ago, although it maintained a blockade with the help of Egypt for most of that time.

The Rafah checkpoint has been a vital channel for humanitarian aid since the beginning of the war and is the only place where people can enter and leave.

Kerem Shalom is the main cargo terminal in Gaza.

Associated Press reporters heard sporadic explosions and gunfire in the Rafah border crossing overnight, including two large explosions early Wednesday.

The Israeli military reported six launches from Rafah towards the Kerem Shalom border crossing on Tuesday.

COGAT, Israel’s military authority in charge of Palestinian civilian affairs, said the Kerem Shalom border crossing was reopened early Wednesday.

But Juliet Tuma, UNRWA’s director of communications, said that as of midday Wednesday no aid had arrived and that the UN agency had been forced to limit the fuel being brought in through Rafah.

Meanwhile, Gaza’s health ministry said at least 46 patients and wounded who were supposed to leave on Tuesday for treatment were left stranded.

UN agencies and aid groups have increased humanitarian aid in recent weeks as Israel lifted some restrictions and opened an additional crossing point to the north under pressure from the United States, its closest ally.

But aid workers say the closure of Rafah, the only gateway for fuel for trucks and generators, could have serious consequences, and the UN says northern Gaza is already in a state of “total starvation”.

COGAT said 60 humanitarian aid trucks entered through the northern crossing on Tuesday.

About 500 trucks entered Gaza every day before the war.

The war began when Hamas fighters broke through Israel’s defenses on October 7 and swept through nearby army bases and farming communities, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping another 250.

Hamas is still believed to be holding around 100 hostages and the remains of more than 30 others, after most of the rest were released during the November ceasefire.

According to Gaza health authorities, the war has killed more than 34,800 Palestinians and driven about 80 percent of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million Palestinians from their homes.

Israel’s military campaign has been one of the deadliest and most destructive in recent history, turning large parts of Gaza into rubble.

Biden has repeatedly warned Netanyahu against launching an invasion of Rafah.

But Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners have threatened to topple his government if he calls off the offensive or makes too many concessions in ceasefire talks.

In the past, the US has provided Israel with massive amounts of military aid, which has only accelerated since the start of the war.

The intercepted shipment was to consist of 1,800 900-kilogram bombs and 1,700 smaller ones, with U.S. concerns centered on how the larger bombs could be used in dense urban environments, a U.S. official said Tuesday on condition of anonymity. to discuss sensitive matter.

The official said no final decision has been taken yet to continue the delivery.