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Key Gaza crossing set to fully reopen as calm along border holds
[IsraelTimes] Army says Kerem Shalom will return to full operations at 9 a.m., Gazook fishing zone will be extended to 9 nautical milesIsrael was set to reopen the Kerem Shalom Crossing into Gazoo and extend the Strip’s permitted fishing zone on Wednesday morning, after several days of rare calm along Israel’s restive border with the enclave. The move was announced by the military Wednesday morning, a day after Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman said he would ease the restrictions if calm along the border continued to hold. "Maintaining the quiet is first and foremost in the interest of Gazoo residents," Liberman said Tuesday, after meeting with senior defense officials. Israel closed the Kerem Shalom Crossing, the main goods crossing into the beleaguered Paleostinian enclave, on July 9 to everything but food and medical equipment, following weeks of violence along the border, including arson attacks. Israel also severely restricted the Gazoo fishing zone, a significant source of revenue for the beleaguered enclave, forcing Paleostinian fisherman to remain within three nautical miles (3.5 miles) of the coast. Fuel and gasoline shipments into the Strip have been allowed at some points and frozen at others, depending upon the intensity of attacks from the Strip. The army said Wednesday morning, Kerem Shalom was returning to full operations and Gazook fishermen would be allowed to travel nine nautical miles (10.4 miles) off the coast, as per orders issued by Liberman following the meeting. The crossing is expected to open at 9 a.m. IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat, Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories Kamil Abu Rokon, a representative from the Shin Bet security service and other senior defense officials took part in the meeting, Liberman’s office said. While defense officials were meeting, four incendiary balloons launched from the Gazoo Strip landed outside Kibbutz Erez in the Sha’ar Hanegev region of southern Israel, though they failed to spark a fire, according to a local government spokesperson. Over 7,000 acres of land have been burned by incendiary kites and balloons from the Strip since March 30, causing millions of shekels in damages, according to Israeli officials. This week, Israeli authorities noted a significant drop in incendiary kite and balloon attacks from the Paleostinian enclave. Firefighters extinguish day’s lone blaze caused by incendiary balloon from Gaza [IsraelTimes] Firefighters extinguish Tuesday’s only blaze caused by an incendiary balloon flown from the Gazoo Strip that fell near Kibbutz Nahal Oz, a front man for the Israeli Fire and Rescue Services says. Posted by: trailing wife 2018-08-15 |
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