Israel announced that it had approved the reopening of three additional corridors for humanitarian aid to enter Gaza following a phone call between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Biden, CBS News reported.
Israeli officials said the Erez Crossing into northern Gaza would be reopened and additional humanitarian aid would be allowed through the Port of Ashdod. Israel will also permit trucks to travel from Jordan into Israel through the Karem Shalom border crossing.
In an April 5 statement, the Israel Cabinet said the additional corridors would help to “prevent a humanitarian crisis” while the fighting “to achieve the goals of the war” continued.
During his April 4 call with Prime Minister Netanyahu, President Biden said the April 1 drone strike that killed seven World Central Kitchen aid workers was “unacceptable.” He warned the prime minister that US policy on the war in Gaza would depend on whether Israel did more to address the humanitarian crisis in the territory.
The White House said Biden made it clear that Israel would need to take “specific, concrete, and measurable steps” to address the humanitarian crisis and ensure the safety of civilians, including aid workers.
The president also demanded an “immediate ceasefire,” claiming that it was “essential” in stabilizing the region and improving “the humanitarian situation” in Gaza. He urged Prime Minister Netanyahu to “empower his negotiators” to arrive at a deal with Hamas that would ensure the return of the remaining hostages.
During a White House press briefing following the president’s call, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby refused to say how US policy would change if Israel failed to make the changes the president demanded. Instead, he only warned that if Israel’s policy or approaches did not change, the US would have to make “changes in ours.”
The IDF announced on April 5 that two officers had been dismissed and three others were reprimanded for their part in the April 1 strike.
