Israel Reopens Kerem Shalom Crossing for Gaza Aid

Israel reopened the Kerem Shalom crossing on Tuesday to allow humanitarian aid to gradually enter the Gaza Strip, according to the Israeli Coordinator of Government Activities in the Palestinian Territories.

The decision to reopen the crossing, a key entry point for aid and goods, followed a security assessment, the coordinator said on Monday. Aid delivery will be based on needs identified in the field by the United Nations and international organizations.

The Kerem Shalom crossing, which lies at the intersection of Gaza, Israel, and Egypt, is the sole entry point for humanitarian assistance and commercial goods into the Gaza Strip. Its closure exacerbates the already dire humanitarian situation in the territory, where approximately 1.9 million displaced people out of a population of 2.4 million reside in makeshift camps, lacking basic necessities after their homes were destroyed during the conflict.

The crossing had been closed following an announcement on Saturday by the Israeli coordinator in the Palestinian territories, coinciding with an Israeli-U.S. attack on Iran and Tehran's response.

The Rafah crossing, Gaza's only gateway to the outside world that bypasses Israel, had reopened for transit on February 2, following nearly two years of Israeli forces controlling it during the conflict with Hamas.

U.S. President Donald Trump warned on Monday that the attack on Iran could take more than a month, amid the widening scope of the conflict with Israel's bombing of Lebanon and Tehran's targeting of Israel and Gulf countries hosting American bases.