Israel announced, this Wednesday (12), the release of the Zikim crossing, which is north of the Gaza Strip. The objective of the reopening is to allow the entry of humanitarian aid provided by the United Nations (UN) and other international institutions into the Palestinian enclave.
“The Zikim crossing was opened today for the entry of humanitarian aid trucks into the Gaza Strip,” announced COGAT, the body of the Israeli Ministry of Defense responsible for issues related to civilians in the Palestinian territories.
According to a COGAT spokesperson, the crossing will be open “permanently”, as will Kerem Shalom, in the south of Gaza, where most convoys have entered since the start of the war, in October 2023. The agency also informed that all cargo will be subject to security controls, before being distributed to the population. The arrival of supplies is part of the ceasefire agreement signed between Israel and Hamas.
The opening of the passage already took place on time during the World Food Program (WFP). However, since September 12th, the UN has announced that it is no longer able to send supplies.
The region is also the target of criticism, mainly because of Israel’s military operations and bombings in regions close to the border. Furthermore, the delivery of supplies became increasingly complicated as local infrastructure continued to be destroyed in attacks. Another risk is that deliveries may be attacked by looters.
