(AKI) - Israel on Thursday reopened the Kerem Shalom border crossing to allow urgent aid to flow through to Gaza. Israeli Defense Forces allowed 40 truckloads of food, medicine, agriculture supplies and chlorine for water treatment were allowed through the crossing, according to Palestinian media reports.Also on Wednesday, Palestinian MP Jamal Al-Khudary said a delegation of Qatari dignitaries would travel on another ship with two million dollars worth of medical supplies that will attempt to enter Gaza waters. The ship is due to arrive in Gaza during the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha next week.
Rights group Amnesty International said recently that 80 percent of Gazans now depend on international aid, compared to 10 percent a decade ago. Israel claims the blockade, imposed after the Islamist Hamas movement seized control of the Gaza Strip, is to counter indiscriminate rocket attacks on Israeli cities by Palestinian militants.