Israel says it has opened a new crossing in northern Gaza to transfer humanitarian aid to the strip.

The Israel Defense Forces announced on Sunday that it opened the "Western Erez" crossing in coordination with the US government.

Footage released by the Israeli military shows a line of trucks driving through the crossing.

The military says dozens of trucks are being sent in carrying flour from the Israeli port of Ashdod.

It says opening the new crossing is "part of the effort to increase aid routes into Gaza."

The step comes amid growing concern over the increasingly deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza as Israel continues its military operations.

The United Nations children's agency, UNICEF, reported on Friday that "for 5 days, no fuel and virtually no humanitarian aid entered the Gaza Strip."

The United States has been urging Israel to reopen the crossing in Rafah in southern Gaza immediately.