Israel Defence Forces to open Kissufim crossing to facilitate aid in Gaza

In a statement on Friday, it said 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.

In a post on X, the IDF said, "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 in its terror assault on Israel on October 7, 2023 that sparked the crisis, VOA reported.

The opening came as the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin in a letter delivered on October 13 gave Israel 30 days to boost its humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza or face the possibility of cuts in US military aid, as per VOA. The letter called for Israel to enable a minimum of 350 trucks a day to enter Gaza through four crossings and to open a fifth humanitarian entry point.

Spokesperson Matthew Miller in a US State Department briefing on Thursday said that Israel has made the new crossing, that they made efforts to stop looting from humanitarian trucks and expanded the Mawasi humanitarian area within Gaza, VOA reported. Miller said US officials have seen almost 229 humanitarian trucks enter Gaza two days ago, which he described as an improvement.