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A man in Rafah grieves on the grave of a loved one Wednesday at the start of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. (AFP/Getty Images)

Israel announces new aid crossing as pressure mounts; USAID calls Gaza conditions ‘dire’

2 min

Israel announced it is beginning construction on a new crossing from Israel to bring aid into northern Gaza, amid growing international pressure to address the humanitarian crisis there. Samantha Power, administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, told lawmakers that conditions in the enclave are “as dire as any I have seen in my career.”

Key updates
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Three sons of the leader of Hamas’s political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, were killed in a strike in Gaza, Hamas and the Israel Defense Forces said. Haniyeh said several of his grandchildren were also killed.
President Biden said the U.S. commitment to Israel against threats from Iran and its proxies is “ironclad.” His comment came after a strike near the Iranian Embassy in Syria was attributed to Israel and sparked fears of retaliation and threats by Iranian leaders.
The U.N. children’s agency UNICEF said one of its vehicles “was hit by live ammunition” as it waited to enter northern Gaza. “Unless humanitarian workers are protected, in accordance with international humanitarian law, humanitarian assistance will not be able to reach the people in need,” the organization’s Middle East and North Africa division said in a statement.
At least 33,545 people have been killed and 76,094 injured in Gaza since the war began, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants and says the majority of the dead are women and children.
Israel estimates that about 1,200 people were killed in Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack, including more than 300 soldiers, and says 260 soldiers have been killed since the start of its military operation in Gaza.
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Three sons of the leader of Hamas’s political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, were killed in a strike in Gaza, Hamas and the Israel Defense Forces said. Haniyeh said several of his grandchildren were also killed.
President Biden said the U.S. commitment to Israel against threats from Iran and its proxies is “ironclad.” His comment came after a strike near the Iranian Embassy in Syria was attributed to Israel and sparked fears of retaliation and threats by Iranian leaders.
The U.N. children’s agency UNICEF said one of its vehicles “was hit by live ammunition” as it waited to enter northern Gaza. “Unless humanitarian workers are protected, in accordance with international humanitarian law, humanitarian assistance will not be able to reach the people in need,” the organization’s Middle East and North Africa division said in a statement.
At least 33,545 people have been killed and 76,094 injured in Gaza since the war began, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants and says the majority of the dead are women and children.
Israel estimates that about 1,200 people were killed in Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack, including more than 300 soldiers, and says 260 soldiers have been killed since the start of its military operation in Gaza.
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Israel-Gaza war

The Israel-Gaza war has gone on for six months, and tensions have spilled into the surrounding region.

The war: On Oct. 7, Hamas militants launched an unprecedented cross-border attack on Israel that included the taking of civilian hostages at a music festival. (See photos and videos of how the deadly assault unfolded). Israel declared war on Hamas in response, launching a ground invasion that fueled the biggest displacement in the region since Israel’s creation in 1948.

Gaza crisis: In the Gaza Strip, Israel has waged one of this century’s most destructive wars, killing tens of thousands and plunging at least half of the population into “famine-like conditions.” For months, Israel has resisted pressure from Western allies to allow more humanitarian aid into the enclave.

U.S. involvement: Despite tensions between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and some U.S. politicians, including President Biden, the United States supports Israel with weapons, funds aid packages, and has vetoed or abstained from the United Nations’ cease-fire resolutions.

History: The roots of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and mistrust are deep and complex, predating the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948. Read more on the history of the Gaza Strip.