Israel is expected to reopen the Karni border crossing to enable the entrance of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, ABC News said on Wednesday, citing Israeli sources.
The crossing has been closed since 2011.
Gaza border protesters slam 'offense' to IDF soldiers
Tzav 9, the organization that has been organizing the protests aiming to block the aid trucks arriving at the Kerem Shalom crossing, said in response. "The Israeli government must stop and finally take responsibility. The obvious meaning of the introduction of the aid trucks is to establish and strengthen Hamas's rule. This is a serious and ongoing offense to the IDF soldiers fighting in the Gaza Strip and distances terribly the return of the hostages home."
"It is clear to everyone that these trucks do not reach the population of Gaza in any way, but go straight to the terrorists of the murderous terrorist organization that carried out the gruesome massacre on October 7," the statement continued.
"The determined people and the relatives of the hostages who come with us to disrupt these 'convoys of death' will not stand by," the statement added, concluding, "We will continue to fight that no aid will pass until the last of the abductees returns."
In recent weeks, protestors have repeatedly reached the Kerem Shalom crossing in order to block the humanitarian aid convoys, clashing with police forces.
In late January, these clashes prompted the IDF to expand the closed military zone to include the area of the Kerem, Shalom crossing, barring civilians from entering.
Yisrael Beytenu head Avigdor Liberman also commented on the move, saying, "I don't remember anyone making it easy for our hostages who are going through hell in captivity in the Gaza Strip," noting the policy should be "Humanitarian for humanitarian."
According to a Maariv report, the opening of the Karni crossing is part of Israel's plan for Gaza after the war.