JERUSALEM, Israel
Israel says it has approved the opening of two humanitarian routes into Gaza, to allow more aid into the territory.
The Erez Gate in northern Gaza will be temporarily re-opened for the first time since the start of the war and Ashdod Port will also be opened for humanitarian deliveries.
More aid from Jordan will be allowed to enter via the Kerem Shalom Crossing.
It comes hours after Joe Biden spoke with Israel's PM for the first time since seven aid workers were killed.
According to a readout of a phone call between the US president and Benjamin Netanyahu, Mr Biden warned that Israel must take steps to prevent civilian harm and humanitarian suffering if it wanted to maintain US support.
It is understood that the re-opening of the corridors was specifically requested by Mr Biden in the phone call.
Mr Biden essentially gave the Israeli government an ultimatum - take concrete steps to prevent civilian harm and ensure safety for aid workers or US policy in respect of Gaza would change.
This was a significant shift in US policy - the first time that Washington has attempted to leverage American aid in order to influence the conduct of the war in Gaza.
Seven people working for the food aid charity World Central Kitchen (WCK) were killed in an Israeli strike in Gaza on Monday.
The WCK convoy they were travelling in was hit by an Israeli air strike as it travelled south along the Israeli-designated coastal aid route, just after they had unloaded more than 100 tonnes of food from a barge at a warehouse in Deir al-Balah.
The vehicles were around 2.5km (1.5 miles) apart and all three were hit during the attack.
Israel's military apologised and called the attack a tragic mistake. It has promised a full investigation.
The US National Security Council said it welcomed the steps announced by Israel, which it said "must now be fully and rapidly implemented".
US policy, it added, would be determined by the steps Israel took to protect "innocent civilians and the safety of aid workers".
On Thursday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said there would be a change of US policy if it did not see changes from Israel.
The move to open Israel's northern border crossing with Gaza in Erez is particularly significant, after Israel's Foreign Minister Eli Cohen told Israeli media in November that there would be "no more contact between Israel and Gaza".
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