GAZA: Israel reopened three of its border crossings in the Gaza Strip yesterday following a halt to cross-border shelling attacks that had strained an Egyptian-brokered truce, officials said.
An Israeli military spokesman said Sufa commercial crossing, the Nahal Oz fuel-transfer deport and the Erez border terminal for travelers resumed operations at 8 a.m. (0500 GMT), with some restrictions still in force.
Another commercial crossing, Karni, remained closed. Peter Lerner, an Israeli defense official, cited a “policy decision” for the continued closure but did not elaborate.
Israel shut the crossings on Wednesday after an Islamic Jihad rocket salvo, which the Palestinian faction called retaliation for Israel’s killing of one of its West Bank chiefs. A rocket and two mortars were fired in two separate incidents. There were no Israeli casualties. Hamas, which has stuck to the truce, called last week for smaller Palestinian factions to abide by the cease-fire and said it would take “necessary measures” against violators. Hamas, yesterday, accused Israel of foot-dragging on its side of the deal.
“Movement across the commercial crossings is still very slow and there has been no change at all, at least as of this moment,” Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said early yesterday.
“Commitment to the ‘calm’ deal by Hamas and other factions was conditional on the price the occupation must pay in return,” he said, referring to Israel.
Lerner said that 80 truckloads of goods would be allowed across Sufa, up from the daily average of around 60 trucks before the truce took hold.
