|
|
Palestine
Israel keeps Gaza crossings closed, as Egypt eases Rafah border
By Haaretz Service
Jul 1, 2008, 13:46
|
|
Israel kept border crossings to the Gaza Strip closed again on Tuesday, after militants fired a Qassam rocket at the western Negev a day earlier in a further violation of a shaky truce.
The defense establishment decided late Monday to keep the border crossed, despite the a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas which stipulates a gradual lifting of the siege on Gaza.
A military spokeswoman said only pedestrian traffic would be permitted for the time being. Palestinian officials said the closure meant a long-awaited shipment of cement would not be allowed through.
Two early warning "Color Red" sirens were heard Monday in the Sha'ar Hanegev area and a rocket struck an open field shortly after. No injuries or damage were reported.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for what was the fourth such attack since the Egypt-brokered truce went into effect on June 19.
On Sunday, Israel reopened three of its border crossings with the Gaza Strip after cross-border rocket fire stopped.
Israel had shut the crossings on June 25 after an Islamic Jihad rocket salvo which the Palestinian faction said was in retaliation for Israel's killing of one of its leaders in the West Bank.
On Tuesday, Egypt again opened the Rafah crossing - Gaza's main gateway to the outside world - for two days to allow hundreds of people stranded on both sides to cross.
Palestinian diplomat Nabil Amr told reporters in Cairo on Monday that
Palestinians needing medical treatment and those with residency permits in Egypt or other countries abroad would be allowed into Egypt.
Fifty Gazans with medical conditions were to be the first allowed out, traveling across the border in ambulances.
Although Rafah lies on the Gaza-Egypt border, Israel has had the power to halt the crossing's operations because Europeans monitoring the passage require Israeli security clearance to operate.
That clearance has not been given since the Hamas takeover last year, and Israel has insisted that Rafah would not return to normal business until Hamas releases IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, captured in a cross-border raid two years ago.
Also Tuesday, Hamas accused the Israel Defense Forces of shooting a 65-year-old Palestinian woman who lives near Israel-Gaza border in what he called a "grave violation of the calm understanding."
The military said its preliminary investigation indicated it was not involved.
In the past, soldiers have fired to drive off people who approach the volatile frontier.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/997910.html
Related articles:(use Haaretz UURL for access and comments)
Israel reopens Gaza crossings after closures over Qassams
Hamas: Qassam fire is harming Palestinian interests
Top of Page
|
|
 |
| Finding Clarity |
|
|
