Washington, 23 October 2023 (dpa/MIA) - US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have agreed to keep the flow of aid into the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing going.

In a Sunday phone call, Biden and Netanyahu affirmed that "there will now be continued flow of this critical assistance into Gaza," the White House said on Sunday.

Biden "welcomed the first two convoys of humanitarian assistance since Hamas's October 7 terrorist attack, which crossed the border into Gaza and is being distributed to Palestinians in need," the White House said in a readout of the call.

The desperately needed humanitarian assistance started moving through Egypt's only border crossing with the Gaza Strip at the weekend, two weeks of complete border closure imposed by Israel following the beginning of the war between the Islamist Hamas ruling the coastal enclave and Israel.

On Saturday, 20 trucks delivered medical supplies, water and food to the strip via the Rafah border crossing. On Sunday, according to UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths, 14 more trucks with relief supplies were able to enter Gaza. He said the arrival of the first convoys offered another "glimmer of hope."

Biden and Netanyahu also discussed ongoing efforts to secure the release of all the hostages held by Hamas and to allow free passage for US citizens and other civilians wishing to leave the Gaza Strip, the White House said.

Photo: MIA archive