Israel announced yesterday evening, Monday, that it will allow, starting today, Tuesday, the entry of fuel and foodstuffs into Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing, in addition to reopening the fishing area off the Strip to 6 miles.
Israel closed the crossings and the fishing zone in conjunction with a new military aggression on Gaza - where more than two million people live - that began on May 10 and lasted 11 days.
The Israeli Ministry of Defense said in a statement that it had been decided to allow, as of Tuesday, the entry of humanitarian supplies through the crossing, and that it had also decided to allow the entry of staff of international organizations and foreign journalists into Gaza through the Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing.
She added that, starting this morning, the fishing distance will be reopened in a reduced manner to six nautical miles only, which was confirmed by the head of the Fishermen's Syndicate in Gaza, Nizar Ayyash, that the occupation informed them (via the Palestinian Authority's Liaison Agency) that it had been decided to reopen the maritime domain to fishermen for a distance of 6 miles Freely from six o'clock local time Tuesday.
For his part, an official in the Israeli Defense Ministry confirmed yesterday that any international aid that will reach the Gaza Strip must pass through the Palestinian Authority and not the Palestinian resistance movement (Hamas).
The official said that international humanitarian aid should be used in the reconstruction of Gaza within a mechanism that attracts international donors and "without posing a threat to Israel."
"Reconstruction efforts must be based" on that mechanism and across the Palestinian Authority "to avoid the need for more resources to flow to Hamas," he added.
Biden and Sisi call
In the meantime, the Egyptian presidency said in a statement yesterday that US President Joe Biden called his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, and they discussed fixing the ceasefire in Gaza and the urgent humanitarian aid to the Strip and international efforts to rebuild it.
She added that the two presidents discussed "developments on the Palestinian issue and ways to revive the peace process in the wake of recent developments."
The Egyptian presidency statement said that President Biden made clear his country's determination to work to restore calm and restore conditions as they were in the Palestinian territories, as well as to coordinate efforts with all international partners to support the Palestinian Authority as well as reconstruction.
US President Joe Biden said in a statement that his Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, "will talk with other key partners in the region, especially regarding coordinated international efforts to ensure the arrival of immediate aid to Gaza that benefits the population and not Hamas."
Egypt pledged to provide $ 500 million in aid to Gaza to contribute to the reconstruction of the Strip, while the United Nations Central Emergency Relief Fund announced that it would allocate $ 18.5 million for humanitarian efforts.
Biden and Sisi’s call comes at a time when the US State Department said that Secretary Anthony Blinken is on his way to Jerusalem, Ramallah, Cairo and Amman on a visit that will last until Thursday, during which he will hold meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and the King Jordanian Abdullah II.
Call to hold Israel accountable
On the other hand, more than 500 members of the campaign of US President Joe Biden and employees of the Democratic Party signed a letter calling on Biden to hold the Israeli government accountable for its aggression on Palestine.
The "Washington Post" newspaper said that more than 500 members of the Biden campaign and employees of the Democratic Party signed a letter calling on Biden to do more to protect the rights of the Palestinians and to hold Israel accountable for the disproportionate number of deaths caused by the Israeli forces compared to those that caused By the Palestinian militants.
The letter, issued on Monday, was signed by employees and organizers who have worked at Biden's national campaign headquarters on the Democratic National Committee and in 22 states, including the swing states of Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan, Arizona and others.
While the letter praised Biden's recent efforts to broker a ceasefire, the signatories called on the US administration to demand the Israeli government to end settlement expansion in the West Bank, and to join international allies in pressing for an end to the violations.
It is noteworthy that the latest statistics of the Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip stated that the number of martyrs due to the recent Israeli bombing of the Strip rose to 253, including 66 children and 39 women, in addition to that, 1948 injuries.
This came after civil defense crews recovered the bodies of 4 martyrs, days after the occupation warplanes bombed a tunnel for the Palestinian resistance east of Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip.