Israel has authorized the temporary reopening of the Erez crossing, but aid shipments are expected to encounter significant logistical challenges due to extensive destruction in northern Gaza, particularly to the road infrastructure as per a recent satellite imagery analysis.
To ensure the functionality of the border crossing, authorities or aid agencies may need to clear and repair the roads in northern Gaza or construct new ones beyond the immediate crossing complex.
Following the attack, several roadways within the crossing complex were bombed by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Subsequent satellite images from Maxar Technologies reveal additional destruction caused by bombing and bulldozing during the IDF ground invasion that commenced in late October.
Major roadways in the closest towns to the crossing, including Beit Lahia, Jabalya, Izbat Beit Hanoun, and Beit Hanoun, exhibit large craters spanning their entire surfaces. Many side streets are strewn with debris and remnants of large residential buildings.
The Erez border crossing had been closed since Hamas militants overran it and took prisoners during the October 7 attack. Israel has not specified when or what type of aid will be permitted through the crossing. Additionally, it remains uncertain whether the IDF will allow aid distribution in northern Gaza, where Palestinians have been instructed to evacuate for months.
According to Oxfam and the United Nations, over a million Palestinians have relocated from the north to the south, leaving only around 300,000 individuals in northern Gaza despite the IDF evacuation orders.
