Closed since the start of the war with Iran, Israel reopens the Zikim crossing to allow aid into Gaza

The United Nations announced on Monday that Israeli authorities have reopened the Zikim crossing in the northern Gaza Strip, in a move that allows humanitarian aid to enter the area directly for the first time in more than forty days.

Stéphane Dujarric stated that his colleagues at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that Israeli authorities had reopened the Zikim crossing, enabling aid convoys to pass through in recent days.

He explained that cargo unloading operations took place over the weekend, while the UN inside Gaza later resumed collecting this assistance, noting that the supplies included food items and essential relief materials provided by the World Food Programme and UNICEF.

Facilitating access

The reopening of the crossing represents an important step in facilitating the delivery of aid to the northern part of the enclave, as it allows goods to enter directly without requiring transfer from the south, particularly through the Kerem Shalom crossing, which serves as the main entry point for humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Despite the reopening, the UN confirmed the continued presence of significant restrictions, most notably delays in Israeli customs procedures, the lack of equipment required to inspect goods, as well as the ban imposed on UN agencies and partner non-governmental organizations, which are a key component of implementing humanitarian operations.

Israel had previously closed all crossings leading to the Palestinian territories following the start of military operations in Iran on February 28, before later partially reopening the Kerem Shalom crossing.