In the wake of the deadly strike on the World Central Kitchen convoy and the tense conversation with US President Joe Biden, the security cabinet decided to take immediate steps to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza, the Prime Minister’s Office announced early Friday.

Israel will temporarily open up Ashdod Port for humanitarian deliveries, and will open Erez Crossing in the northern Gaza Strip for the first time since it was significantly damaged during the Hamas-led October 7 terror onslaught that sparked the ongoing war.

Israel will also increase the amount of aid from Jordan moving through the Kerem Shalom crossing.

“The increased aid will prevent a humanitarian crisis,” said the PMO, “and is critical for ensuring the continuation of the fighting and achieving the war aims.”

The moves were welcomed by the White House, which called for Israel to immediately implement them.

“These steps, including a commitment to open the Ashdod port for the direct delivery of assistance into Gaza, to open the Erez Crossing for a new route for assistance to reach north Gaza, and to significantly increase deliveries from Jordan directly into Gaza, must now be fully and rapidly implemented,” National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement.

“As the president said today on the call, US policy with respect to Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israel’s immediate action on these and other steps, including steps to protect innocent civilians and the safety of aid workers,” she added.

“We are prepared to work in full coordination with the government of Israel, the governments of Jordan and Egypt, the United Nations and humanitarian organizations to ensure that these important steps are implemented and result in a significant increase in humanitarian assistance reaching civilians in dire need throughout Gaza over the coming days and weeks.”

The Israeli announcement came hours after Biden and Netanyahu spoke for the first since an IDF strike in central Gaza killed seven aid workers from the World Central Kitchen. The US president indicated his administration’s policy regarding Israel’s war against Hamas could dramatically change if Israel doesn’t move to address the humanitarian crisis and protect aid workers, calling for an immediate ceasefire to do so.

Asked what kinds of concrete steps the White House would like to see from Israel, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the opening of additional crossings and an increase in the number of aid trucks getting into Gaza would be a start, adding that he expected Israel would announce new reforms in the coming hours and days.

Israel has called the strike on the WCK convoy a “grave mistake” and vowed an in-depth investigation into how it occurred. But Netanyahu also said that “these things happen in war” — a line that wasn’t well received internationally.

While greeted by the White House, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir hit out at Netanyahu over the newly announced measures, saying ministers did not vote on the matter and calling the statement from the Prime Minister’s Office “incorrect.” The statement from Netanyahu’s office said the cabinet authorized the premier and other members of the war cabinet to take the steps, but not that a vote was held.

“Ben Gvir and others opposed the proposal and it’s regrettable that the prime minister refrained from bringing it to a vote,” the far-right minister said in a statement.

He also called to stop allowing aid into Gaza, claiming it was “the correct way” to return the hostages taken by Palestinian terrorists on October 7.

“It’s too bad that instead of entering Rafah, there are those who prefer to deal with sending equipment to Gaza that directly reaches Hamas,” Ben Gvir continued. “We must enter Rafah now!”

Israel has insisted that it will only move forward with the Rafah operation once it has cleared civilians from the southern Gaza city. But the US has expressed increased skepticism that the IDF will be able to pull off such a major evacuation, pointing to the already dire humanitarian situation in the enclave.

Times of Israel staff and agencies contributed to this report.