Israel reopened three of its border crossings with the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip on Sunday following a halt to Palestinian cross-border shelling attacks that had strained an Egyptian-brokered truce, said officials.An Israeli military spokesman said Sufa commercial crossing, the Nahal Oz fuel-transfer depot and the Erez border terminal for travellers resumed operations at 8 am (0500 GMT), with some restrictions still in force. Another commercial crossing, Karni, remained closed. Peter Lerner, an Israeli defence official, cited a “policy decision” for the continued closure but did not elaborate.
Israel shut the crossings on Wednesday after an Islamic Jihad rocket attack that the Palestinian faction called retaliation for Israel’s killing of one of its West Bank chiefs. Other Gazan militants fired a rocket and two mortar bombs in two separate incidents. There were no Israeli casualties. The truce, which began on June 19, calls for Hamas to stop cross-border rocket fire and for Israel to gradually ease its embargo on Gaza. It does not apply to the West Bank. Hamas, which has stuck to the truce, called last week for smaller Palestinian factions to abide by the ceasefire and said it would take “necessary measures” against violators.
Palestinian man killed: Meanwhile, Israeli forces killed a Palestinian teenager in the occupied West Bank on Sunday.
Residents said the 17-year-old was killed while confronting Israeli troops patrolling the village of Tubas, near the city of Nablus. An Israeli army spokesman said troops shot at a group of militants who threw firebombs at them, hitting one.