The Latest | Blinken says Israel will open a major aid crossing into hard-hit northern Gaza

By The Associated Press

Israel plans on opening a major humanitarian aid crossing into hard-hit northern Gaza. That’s according to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who spoke Tuesday during his latest visit to the Mideast. Israel’s war against Hamas has flattened huge swaths of the territory’s north, and famine is imminent for the hundreds of thousands of civilians who remain. Blinken is trying to advance cease-fire negotiations between Israel and Hamas, and talks appear to be gaining momentum. However, hours before he landed in Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to launch a ground offensive into Gaza’s southernmost town of Rafah — “with or without a deal” to halt the fighting and release Israeli hostages.