The United Nations announced on Monday that Israeli authorities have reopened the Zikim crossing in northern Gaza for the first time in over 40 days, allowing aid convoys to enter the territory directly from the north. UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric confirmed that food and supplies from the World Food Programme and UNICEF had already been unloaded over the weekend, relieving pressure on the main southern entry point at Kerem Shalom. However, Dujarric cautioned that "major constraints remain," including Israeli customs delays, insufficient scanning capacity, and blanket bans on certain UN agencies and partner NGOs — all of which continue to hamper the broader humanitarian response in Gaza.