News
Gaza rocket fired into Israel, border crossings temporarily closed
Late on Friday, a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip landed in southern Israel, prompting the Israeli authorities to close the border crossings with Gaza due to security concerns.
The rocket landed in the Eshkol region and did not cause any damage or injuries. It was the second time that a rocket had been fired at Israel from Gaza since an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire put an end to Operation Protective Edge in August. However, several test rockets have been fired into the sea from Gaza during the interim period.
Although no group took responsibility for Friday’s attack, Haaretz says that Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon warned Hamas, via Egypt, that additional rocket fire would be met with a severe response. Hamas denied involvement and reportedly detained five suspects.
Following the rocket attack, Israeli security officials took the decision to temporarily close the Erez and Kerem Shalom border crossings with the Gaza Strip except for humanitarian purposes. An IDF spokesperson said, “The crossing points for people and goods, Erez and Kerem Shalom, have been closed until further notice except for humanitarian aid.” The Times quotes another army spokesperson who commented, “We closed the crossings due to security reasons.”
Last week, Egypt decided to close its border crossing with the Gaza Strip after a huge terror attack killed more than 30 Egyptian soldiers in the Sinai Peninsula, which also borders Israel. Egypt has long accused Hamas of supporting the smuggling of weapons and fighters through tunnels beneath the Gaza-Egypt border. Egyptian officials implicated Palestinians in the Sinai attack and subsequently postponed planned talks between Israel and a Palestinian delegation including Hamas, which was to have discussed a long-term agreement over Gaza.
Meanwhile, Israeli security officials yesterday gave the green light for the construction of a Coca Cola factory in the Karni industrial zone in the Gaza Strip. The facility is scheduled to take six months to build and will employ around 3,000 Gazans.