| Okay, who won the betting pool? |
Military authorities closed the three border crossing points that had been used mainly to deliver humanitarian supplies to Gaza since Israel imposed a blockade after the June 2007 bloody takeover by the Islamist Hamas movement.
It wasn't immediately clear when border crossings would reopen. "We'll review the situation at the end of the day and then take a decision," said Israeli military spokesman Peter Lerner.
| Keep reviewing ... |
An Egyptian-mediated truce agreement between Israel and Hamas entails a gradual easing of the blockade, but the border crossings have been closed most days since June 19 in response to rocket attacks by Gaza militants.
"Nothing will stop our efforts to bring calm and ensure the security of the population in the south (of Israel) and to continue negotiations to achieve peace," Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said in the southern town of Kyriat Gat.
Hamas has insisted it is respecting the truce and trying to prevent other armed groups from firing rockets at southern Israel by vowing to arrest those responsible for the attacks.
| Oh sure, and they've been so effective at their vows ... |
| Israelis don't shot people in the foot, that's a Paleo specialty ... |
The army, despite witness comments, denies that it has shot any Palestinians since the truce came into affect, saying troops have only fired warning shots in the air which have not caused any casualties.
Meanwhile two people were lightly wounded on June 24 when three rockets were fired at southern Israel. The attack was claimed by the Islamic Jihad movement, which later agreed to abide by the ceasefire. Last Thursday a rocket fired by the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, an armed group loosely linked to the Fatah movement of secular Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, hit near the Israeli town of Sderot.
Hamas briefly held the Brigades' spokesman after the attack.
| Dusted him off, patted him on the back, given him a bonus, and got him back to his office ... |
On Tuesday, Egypt opened the Rafah border, the only Gaza crossing that bypasses Israel, to allow 350 Palestinians, including people in need of medical care, to leave the Gaza Strip, according to Hamas officials. Egyptian officials said it would remain open for two days.
Hamas has sought the permanent reopening of the Rafah border crossing as part of the truce agreement, but Israel has insisted the issue would only be addressed after progress is made in negotiations for the release of a soldier captured by Palestinian militants two years ago.