The Israeli army announced, on Wednesday evening, the opening of the Beit Hanoun crossing in the northern Gaza Strip for the first time since the start of the war on October 7, noting that thirty Jordanian aid trucks entered the northern Gaza Strip after being subjected to a strict security inspection. The Israeli army said that the Jordanian aid included aid, food supplies, and medical equipment.

A statement by the Israeli army stated that the opening of the Beit Hanoun crossing came after the completion of engineering works carried out in the area in recent weeks to enable trucks to enter, after it had been intended for pedestrians only before its closure.

The Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Wednesday that a convoy of aid trucks provided by the Kingdom was attacked by Israeli settlers while heading to the Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing, but it was able to continue on its way.

Israel's decision to reopen the Beit Hanoun crossing came after pressure and appeals launched by international relief agencies months ago to alleviate hunger, from which hundreds of thousands of civilians in the northern part of the Strip are believed to be suffering most.

The Israeli government opened the Beit Hanoun crossing on the day of the visit of US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, who met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and called for the delivery of more humanitarian aid to the Strip. Blinken also visited the Kerem Shalom crossing to inspect the delivery of aid.

Israel announced that it would reopen the Beit Hanoun crossing last month, a few days after a group of aid workers were killed by Israeli fire, which sparked international condemnation. The US special envoy for humanitarian affairs warned last month that the risk of famine across the war-torn Gaza Strip was very high and called for greater efforts to deliver aid to the northern part of the small, densely populated enclave.

The United Nations has long complained of obstacles to the arrival and distribution of aid throughout Gaza since Israel began an air and ground attack on the ruling Hamas movement in the Strip in October. Since the start of its devastating war on the Strip on October 7, Israel has cut off supplies of water, food, medicine, electricity, and fuel to the Gaza Strip, leaving about 2.3 million Palestinians suffering catastrophic humanitarian conditions.