Tel Aviv [Israel], November 9 (HBTV): The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) and the Israeli agency COGAT (Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories: Judea and Samaria and towards the Gaza Strip) announced that they are preparing to open the Kissufim crossing.

In a statement on Friday, the IDF said that as part of the effort to increase the volume and routes of aid to Gaza, it, in coordination with COGAT and the Southern Command, is preparing to open the Kissufim crossing.

In a post on X, the IDF stated, "In accordance with the directive from the political echelon and as part of the effort to increase the volume and routes of aid to Gaza, the IDF, via COGAT and the Southern Command, is preparing to open the Kissufim crossing. The introduction of humanitarian aid through the Kissufim crossing was made possible following engineering work carried out in the area over recent weeks by the IDF. As part of the work, the forces built inspection facilities and protective infrastructure, and paved roads both in Israeli territory and within Gaza to allow the transfer of aid to the southern part of Gaza. This was done while ensuring the safety of the Israeli communities along the border with Gaza."

Kissufim is a small border crossing into southern Gaza near Kibbutz Kissufim, one of the sites attacked by Hamas during its terror assault on Israel on October 7, 2023, which sparked the ongoing crisis, VOA reported.

The opening of the crossing comes after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin sent a letter to Israel on October 13, giving Israel 30 days to increase its humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza or face the possibility of cuts to US military aid. According to VOA, the letter urged Israel to enable a minimum of 350 trucks a day to enter Gaza through four crossings and to open a fifth humanitarian entry point.

In a US State Department briefing on Thursday, spokesperson Matthew Miller stated that Israel has made efforts to prevent looting from humanitarian trucks and has expanded the Mawasi humanitarian area within Gaza. Miller also mentioned that US officials had seen nearly 229 humanitarian trucks enter Gaza two days ago, which he described as an improvement.   

(ANI)