Israel to open Kerem Shalom Crossing, confirms US official

Israel has agreed, at US request, to open the Kerem Shalom border crossing for only the screening and inspection of the humanitarian aid delivered into Gaza via the Rafah crossing, a senior US official said.

Washington has been discussing with the Israelis for weeks the possible opening of Kerem Shalom to speed up the inspection process of the aid trucks.

The US official did not give a time frame on when the crossing would open.

The UN Humanitarian Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, confirmed on Thursday he saw promising indications that the Kerem Shalom crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip could be opened soon to allow aid to enter.

The Rafah border crossing with Egypt is the only port for aid to enter Gaza.

A total of 350 people have been killed in Gaza in the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll to 17,177 civilians since October 7.