Israel has announced that it will allow "temporary" aid delivery into the northern part of Gaza as the humanitarian crisis in the region worsens.
This move comes just hours after the US warned of a significant shift in its policy regarding the Gaza conflict.
In a heated 30-minute phone chat on Thursday, US President Joe Biden reminded Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that US policy towards Israel was contingent on the safety of civilians and relief workers in Gaza, the first indication of potential conditions for Washington's military backing.
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Just hours later, in the middle of the night in Jerusalem, Israel announced the opening of more supply channels into the blockaded Gaza Strip.
Netanyahu's office said Israel's war cabinet allowed "temporary" assistance delivery via the Ashdod Port and the Erez land crossing and additional supplies from nearby Jordan via the Kerem Shalom crossing.
The White House swiftly hailed the actions, describing them as "at the president's request," and stating that they "must now be fully and rapidly implemented."
Israel has faced growing international pressure over the toll of its six-month war on Hamas, as well as increasingly harsh criticism from its primary ally, Washington.
Since the October 7 bombings that triggered the conflict, Israel's retaliation campaign has killed at least 33,037 Palestinians, according to the health ministry in Hamas-controlled Gaza, and generated fears about catastrophic starvation.
According to Oxfam, Palestinians in northern Gaza have had to exist on an average of 245 calories per day since January.
Charities have regularly accused Israel of stifling supplies and targeting convoys, with an Israeli attack this week killing seven humanitarian workers carrying food in Gaza, underscoring the dangers of hunger relief efforts.
"The strikes on humanitarian workers and the overall humanitarian situation are unacceptable," Biden told Netanyahu, according to a White House readout of their conversation.
Biden also "made clear that US policy with respect to Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israel's immediate action" to ease the humanitarian situation.
