“The opening of the Erez crossing and the use of the port of Ashdod to send humanitarian aid announced by Israel are welcome measures, but long overdue and insufficient to meet the immense needs in Gaza,” said Sally Abi Khalil, OXFAM director for the Middle East and North Africa.
“Given the magnitude of the suffering in Gaza and that famine is imminent in the north, these routes must be operational as soon as possible, the process of allowing the entry of aid must be accelerated and made permanent,” the official stressed.
Abi Khalil called on Israel to reopen all border crossings with the coastal enclave after pointing out that it is the fastest and most effective way to enter vital products into that territory. “The announced expansion should not be used as a justification to close any of the current accesses,” she stressed.
The official went on to add that “above all, what the people of Gaza need is a permanent ceasefire to end the death and destruction.”
In the face of international pressure, Benjamin Netanyahu’s government promised to open the Erez border crossing and the port of Ashdod to ships from various latitudes loaded with medicine, food and basic necessities for the enclave.
Israel is under a wave of global criticism for its indiscriminate attacks on Gaza, which led to the destruction of vital infrastructure, including water plants and hospitals, as well as causing deep famine due to its policy of total blockade.
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