Israel reopened the Zikim border crossing border for the entry of humanitarian aid into the northern Gaza Strip on Wednesday, two months after it was closed during an Israel Defense Forces operation to capture Gaza City.

The Defense Ministry’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) agency, which oversees humanitarian matters in the Strip, noted in a statement that the crossing was reopened with the approval of political leaders.

“The aid will be transferred by the UN and international organizations following thorough security inspections by the Land Crossings Authority of the Defense Ministry,” it said.

Contacted by AFP, a COGAT spokesman said the crossing would now remain open “permanently,” like the Kerem Shalom Crossing into southern Gaza, through which the bulk of aid has been transferred over the past two years since the Hamas-led assault on Israel on October 7, 2023, sparked war in the coastal enclave.

The Zikim Crossing was closed on September 12, halting the flow of aid into northern Gaza. While some aid was allowed to enter the area from the south of the Strip, it was deemed by the UN and international aid groups to have been wildly insufficient.

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