GAZA CITY, 29 June 2007 — Shipments crossed into Gaza through the main Karni commercial transit point with Israel yesterday for the first time since Hamas seized control of the territory, Israeli and UN officials said. “We have transported the equivalent of three trucks of wheat through Karni by using a conveyor belt allowing the wheat to get to the Palestinian side,” Shlomo Dror, spokesman for Israeli activities in the Palestinian territories.
“It was a trial run. Everything went very well, including our cooperation with the Palestinians. We hope we can continue like this so the Palestinian population do not face a humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.”
Israel sealed Gaza’s borders when Hamas, whose charter calls for the destruction of the Jewish state, seized control of the territory on June 15 after routing Palestinian Authority security services in the territory.
Although Israel has allowed emergency deliveries in through other crossing points, the general closure has raised alarm about the impact on Gaza, home to 1.5 million Palestinians who receive most of their food via Israel.
Karni is the main transit point for goods between the Gaza Strip and Israel. The conveyor belt system means that trucks can back up to the belt on either side but does not require direct cross-border contact.
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said that Karni had opened yesterday to allow 5,000 tons of wheat into the Gaza Strip, welcoming the development and urging the crossing point to remain open permanently.
“We welcome this as a very important development because all our goods move in through Karni. It is crucial that Karni remains open on a permanent basis and remains fully functional,” said spokesman Christopher Gunness.
