What's happened
Aid routes into Gaza are in jeopardy as Israel demands evacuations from Rafah, Hamas diverts humanitarian aid, and Israel reopens the Erez crossing for aid trucks.
Why it matters
The closure of aid routes into Gaza amid fears of an Israeli offensive on Rafah could have severe humanitarian consequences, leading to a potential bloodbath in the densely populated area. The diversion of humanitarian aid by Hamas exacerbates the dire situation, while the reopening of the Erez crossing offers a glimmer of hope for increased aid delivery.
What the papers say
The Guardian reports on aid groups warning of grave consequences if an Israeli offensive on Rafah proceeds, while The Times of Israel highlights Hamas diverting a major aid shipment from Jordan and the subsequent condemnation by the US State Department.
How we got here
Repeated Israeli evacuation orders have forced an estimated 1.4 million people to gather in Rafah, with tens of thousands now facing demands to leave eastern Rafah. The Erez crossing, the main route for aid into Gaza, was reopened by Israel following US pressure to increase aid delivery.
Common question
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Antony John Blinken is an American government official who served as United States Deputy Secretary of State from 2015 to 2017 and Deputy National Security Advisor from 2013 to 2015 under President Barack Obama.
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Hamas is a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist militant organization. It has a social service wing, Dawah, and a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades.
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The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East is a UN agency that supports the relief and human development of Palestinian refugees.
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Israel, formally known as the State of Israel, is a country in Western Asia, located on the southeastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and the northern shore of the Red Sea.
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The Gaza Strip, or simply Gaza, is a self-governing Palestinian territory on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, that borders Egypt on the southwest for 11 kilometers and Israel on the east and north along a 51 km border.