Over 300 aid trucks enter Gaza in the highest daily total since the start of war

The announcement comes amid increasing U.S. and international pressure to get Gazans more assistance and to ensure the safety of aid workers following the accidental deaths of seven aid workers.

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew on Sunday paid a visit to the Israel Defense Forces’ Humanitarian Coordination and Deconfliction Cell, which was established following the deaths of the aid workers, including an American citizen.

Accompanied by Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Lew toured the new situation room at IDF Southern Command headquarters in Beersheva. The ambassador was briefed by senior IDF officials on measures being taken to accelerate the inspection, transfer and distribution of aid for residents of the Gaza Strip.

Lew and Gallant spoke about measures “to increase the number of access points for the delivery of aid by land and sea, to improve infrastructure and routes necessary for the delivery of aid and to streamline security inspections,” according to a Defense Ministry readout.

The Coordination and Deconfliction Cell, which opened on April 2, will help “facilitate the delivery of aid in a manner that will enable the IDF to continue operating against Hamas terrorism, while also ensuring the security of aid workers,” the Defense Ministry said on Sunday.

Approximately 369,990 tons of aid and 19,776 trucks have been inspected at the Nitzana and Kerem Shalom crossings since Oct. 7. A total of 257,530 tons of food in 12,197 trucks have entered the Strip since the start of the war. Tens of thousands of tons of shelter and medical equipment, water and other aid have also entered, as well as fuel and cooking gas.