The United States has revealed that on Sunday 7th April, 304 aid trucks entered Gaza, making it the highest number of trucks in any single day since the conflict began, adding that the Israeli cabinet has agreed to open a new northern crossing, which could be operational this week.
State Department Spokesman, Mathew Miller who made this know during Press Briefing on Monday, disclosed that this was possible following the President Joe Biden’s call with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu last week in which he emphasized that Israel must take immediate action to protect civilians and get more aid into Gaza.
He said this new crossing would represent an important step in delivering assistance directly to northern Gaza, where aid situation is most severe, adding that Israeli cabinet also approved the use of Ashdod as a port of entry for relief, which if implemented could significantly facilitate the flow of assistance.
Miller said, “In addition, we have seen the initial implementation of a streamlined process for regular truck convoys moving from Jordan through Israel and into Gaza carrying essential supplies to those in dire need.
“The Government of Jordan has played an important role in facilitating humanitarian assistance to Gaza, and we commend them for being ready to step up and do even more. Yesterday, 304 aid trucks entered Gaza, the highest number of trucks in any single day since the conflict began.
“That number represents a significant improvement, but it is important not just that we see the daily number continue to grow, but that it be sustained over time. Our hope is that by later this week, 350 trucks’ll enter Gaza each day, and we are working hard across the United States Government to make that happen”.
He noted that United States welcomed the announcement by the Israel that the IDF is establishing a coordination unit for deconfliction as a direct contact point with the humanitarian community.
“More than 200 humanitarian workers have been killed during this conflict, and we have repeatedly pressed the Israeli Government on the need to improve its deconfliction and coordination measures.
“The creation of this new unit, which Prime Minister which is something President Biden raised directly with Netanyahu on their call last week and which Secretary Blinken raised in his meetings with Israeli officials, can contribute to the safety of those who are working tirelessly to bring relief to the Palestinian people.
“We will be observing closely its establishment to verify that it operates as intended to ensure humanitarian workers can do their jobs as safely as possible. While we welcome these initial steps, it’s crucial to recognize that much more needs to be done”.
He voiced out that many Palestinians in Gaza are at risk of famine, and every single man, woman, and child in Gaza is experiencing food insecurity. “So these recent efforts must be just the starting point for sustained Israeli commitment to ensure that the people of Gaza have their basic needs met.
“We expect Israel to fully implement its commitments quickly and we will be monitoring that implementation. As Secretary Blinken has said, ultimately it is the results that matter, and we will be judging them on those results”, Miller concluded.
Sunday, April 7 marks six months since Hamas’ attack on Israel while newly released estimate by the United Nations and World Bank puts cost of repair to damaged critical infrastructure in Gaza at around $18.5 billion with every sector of economy been impacted by half a year of Israeli retaliatory strikes, with housing being the most impacted.
It was reported that over 33,000 Palestinians have been confirmed killed and thousands more are missing, the assumption being they are buried under the rubble that once used to be the homes and offices of Palestinians.