As a humanitarian crisis threatens to engulf Gaza over food and other shortages caused by the two-month closure of the main Karni cargo terminal, the Kerem Shalom crossing point will be opened Monday for the passage of aid supplies to the beleaguered Strip.
Bread is already in severely short supply in the Gaza Strip, and there are fears that stocks of milk and dairy products will soon be exhausted.
Israel has kept the Karni crossing closed following a number of Palestinian attacks in and around the facility. The Palestinian at first opposed opening the Kerem Shalom terminal, where Israeli inspectors will examine Gaza-bound trucks, which will then enter Egyptian territory en route to the Strip.
The decision to open the second crossing was made during a tense meeting of Israeli and Palestinian Authority officials Sunday night mediated by U.S. Ambassador to Israel Richard Jones, accompanied by the Egyptian ambassador, European Union officials, and representatives of international aid organizations.
?We have agreed that the crossing from Kerem Shalom will open tomorrow for imports of food and other essential humanitarian products from Egypt,? U.S. Ambassador Richard Jones told reporters at the conclusion of the Sunday night meeting.
A joint Israeli-PA-Egyptian team is to meet early on Monday to iron out details of operating the crossing point.
Despite pleas by Israeli textile manufacturers, no Gaza-produced goods will be allowed passage into Israel. Textile manufacturers have said they stand to lose millions of shekels in sales unless they receive shipments of clothes produced for them in the Strip.