Israel Closes Gaza Crossings After Rocket Fire

by Joseph Nasr and Louise Ireland
Reuters
November 25, 2008

http://www.jewishpolicycenter.org/434/israel-closes-gaza-crossings-after-rocket-fire

Israel closed its commercial border crossings with the Hamas-run Gaza Strip on Tuesday after Palestinian militants fired a rocket towards the Jewish state, the Defence Ministry said.

An Israeli police spokesman said a rocket fired by militants towards Israel on Monday landed inside the Gaza Strip, failing to cross the border.

Limited humanitarian aid was allowed into the coastal enclave for the second time in three weeks on Monday after Egypt prevailed on militant groups to halt rocket fire in return for Israel gradually lifting its blockade of the territory.

Israel clamped down on aid shipments to the Gaza Strip starting Nov. 4, when a deadly army raid into the territory triggered a surge in rocket attacks. The violence threatened a five-month-old truce along the Israel-Gaza frontier.

Israel's closure of the crossings prompted the United Nations to warn of a looming humanitarian crisis.

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