U.S. says Israel to open new Gaza crossing as aid deadline looms

Israel to open new crossing for aid into Gaza amid U.S. deadline, risking military assistance withholding.

Israel has informed the United States that it will open an additional crossing for aid into Gaza, the U.S. State Department said Thursday (November 8, 2024), as a U.S.-imposed deadline looms next week.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin have given Israel until November 13 to improve the humanitarian situation in the war-besieged Gaza Strip or risk the withholding of some military assistance from the United States, Israel's biggest supporter.

They made the demands in a letter before Tuesday's election of President-elect Donald Trump, who has promised to give freer rein to Israel.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said that Israel, after recently reopening the Erez crossing, has informed the United States that they "hope to open an additional new crossing at Kissufim" in "the next few days."

"We have continued to press them, and we have seen them, including in the past few days since the election, take additional steps," Mr. Miller told reporters.

He stopped short of saying how the United States would assess Israel's compliance with the aid demands.

In the letter, Mr. Blinken and Mr. Austin had urged Israel to "consistently" let aid through four major crossings and to open a fifth crossing.