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Jerusalem (AFP) – Israel partially reopened its only cargo crossing with the Gaza Strip on Tuesday after a two-week shutdown caused by border tensions and incendiary kites sparking fears of a severe shortage fuel in the Palestinian enclave blocked. Fuel trucks began to pass through the Kerem Shalom crossing at noon, while deliveries of food and medicine that had not been closed were to continue.
But other types of goods will remain banned for the time being, Israel continuing to demand the complete end of the kites and balloons that carried flamboyant goods over the border for set fire to Israeli farmland.
"Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman has decided that Kerem Shalom will reopen partially and from 12:00.) It will be possible to transfer gas and fuel to the Gaza Strip, in addition to food and medicine." Lieberman's office said
The statement noted that the number of kites and balloons He said the crossing could resume its activity quickly, "conditioned by the complete cessation of fireballs launches and Friction on the fence. "
Israel These devices have fired hundreds of fires since April and have caused damage of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Palestinians in Gaza regard deer flying and balloons as a legitimate resistance against the Israeli blockade of more than 10 years.The Islamist movement that leads the Gaza Strip has not reacted to the partial reopening of the Gaza Strip. [1965] 9007] The Israeli movement followed the urgent warnings of United Nations officials that emergency fuel supplies were low in Gaza and that the shortage was beginning to hospitals and water sanitation.
The coastal enclave suffers from a severe lack of electricity and relies on fuel-powered generators during outages that last hours and hours.
– "Impoverished Fast" –
There were months of tension between Israel and Hamas that saw two separate military outbreaks over the last two weekends.
The escalation has raised fears of another conflict between the two parties, which has fought three wars since 2008.
Following the latest wave of violence on Friday, Israel and Hamas reached a cease-fire. fire negotiated by Egypt and the UN officials who largely held.
Israel carried out a wave of air strikes that killed three Hamas militants after one of its soldiers was shot dead along the Gaza border earlier in the day.
The previous weekend saw the most serious exchange of fire between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza since the last war in 2014. [19659018] Israel announced on July 9 that the passage of goods was closed to most deliveries, partly in response to firebombs and other incidents along the border fence.
On July 17, he tightened the restrictions again. Prevent fuel deliveries while reducing the fishing zone Israel imposes six to three nautical miles on Gaza.
The tension along the Gaza border has increased as protests and mass clashes began in late March. They have continued at different levels since then.
At least 149 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza by Israeli gunfire since 30 March. The soldier shot dead on Friday was the first Israeli killed.
Israel says its blockade is necessary to prevent Hamas from obtaining weapons or materials that could be used for military purposes.
But officials and rights groups of the UN have repeatedly called for the blockade to be lifted, citing worsening humanitarian conditions in the enclave of two million people . the electricity crisis, the lack of drinking water and other infrastructure in the band, where poverty and unemployment plague.
The UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the Palestinian Territories, Jamie McGoldrick, said Sunday that by the UN for critical facilities in Gaza are quickly depleted.
He called on Israel to end restrictions on fuel imports and warned that hospitals could soon be forced The only other goods crossing in Gaza is Rafah on the Egyptian border.
Checkpoint has been largely closed in recent years, but Egypt has opened it halfway through. -May and it has remained mostly since.
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