Blinken says Israel will open a major aid crossing into hard-hit northern Gaza

Israel plans on opening a major humanitarian aid crossing into hard-hit northern Gaza, said U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday. Israel’s war against Hamas</a> has flattened huge swaths of Gaza’s north, and famine is imminent for the hundreds of thousands of civilians who remain.
Blinken is back in the Mideast this week to advance cease-fire negotiations between Israel and Hamas, as talks appear to be gaining momentum. However, hours before he landed in Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to launch a ground offensive into Gaza’s southernmost town of Rafah – “with or without a deal” to halt the fighting and release Israeli hostages.
Rafah is the main entry point for getting desperately needed aid into Gaza, where the United Nations says 100% of the population is at severe levels of food insecurity. More than a million Palestinian civilians have been driven into Rafah, with many living in sprawling tent camps. Israel says Rafah is Hamas’ last major stronghold in the Gaza Strip.