Devendra Kumar
The Israeli military has reopened the Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza, but the United Nations warns that no humanitarian aid has yet entered the Palestinian territory. The two crossing facilities, Kerem Shalom and Rafah, are the main terminals for food, medicine, and other essential supplies for Gaza’s population of 2.3 million Palestinians. However, the prolonged closure of the crossings could cause a collapse of aid operations, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where the UN says a “full-blown famine” is already underway in the north.
The Israeli military’s decision to reopen the crossing comes after days of closure following a Hamas rocket attack that killed four Israeli soldiers nearby. An Israeli tank brigade seized the nearby Rafah crossing, forcing its closure, but there is no indication that this marks the start of a full-scale invasion of the city of Rafah, which Israel has repeatedly promised. Aid officials warn that the prolonged closure of the crossings could cause a collapse of aid operations, worsening the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
The UN World Food Programme has lost access to its Gaza food warehouse in Rafah, which was “communicated as a no-go zone,” and is extremely worried about looting. The agency has secured a warehouse in central Gaza but has not yet stocked it with food. Associated Press journalists heard sporadic explosions and gunfire in the area of the Rafah crossing overnight, including two large blasts early on Wednesday. The Israeli military reported six launches from Rafah towards the Kerem Shalom crossing on Tuesday.
The US has paused a shipment of bombs to Israel over concerns that Israel is approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on Rafah, in a further widening of divisions between the two close allies. The US, Egypt, and Qatar are ramping up efforts to close the gaps in a possible agreement for at least a temporary ceasefire and the release of some of the scores of Israeli hostages still held by Hamas. Israel has linked the threatened Rafah operation to the fate of those negotiations.
The situation remains volatile, with sporadic explosions and gunfire in the area of the Rafah crossing and the prolonged closure of the crossings causing concerns about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The UN is desperately trying to restock its warehouses and resume aid operations, but the prospects for a peaceful resolution to the conflict remain uncertain.