BICOM

Israel yesterday allowed Gaza farmers to transport produce to the West Bank in a further sign that restrictions on movement are being eased. Meanwhile this morning a rocket was fired from the Gaza Strip, triggering warning sirens in southern Israel.

The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the Israeli body responsible for coordinating movement at the Gaza border crossings, said that ten metric tons of cucumbers were yesterday transported from Gaza to the Hebron area in the West Bank. A metric ton of fresh fish is expected to follow on Sunday. The opening of the West Bank market is a potentially significant boost to Gaza’s economy.

Israel has placed restrictions on movement from the Gaza Strip since 2007, as Hamas violently seized control of the area and then used imported materials to construct weapons and military infrastructure. However, since a ceasefire brought an end to Operation Protective Edge in the summer, Israel agreed a mechanism with the Palestinian Authority (PA) and United Nations (UN) to facilitate the entry of construction materials into Gaza, which began in earnest earlier this week.

During the past two weeks though, Egypt has closed its Rafah border crossing with Gaza following a large terror attack on its forces in Sinai, which Egyptian authorities believe was aided by Hamas or other Palestinian factions in Gaza.

Meanwhile this morning rocket warning sirens sounded in the Eshkol region of southern Israel. Walla News reports that a rocket was fired at Israel, but fell short and landed in the Gaza Strip. There have been no reports of casualties on either side of the border. The incident comes a week after a rocket from Gaza did land in the Eshkol region. Although it did not cause any injuries, Israel responded by temporarily closing the Gaza border crossings. Hamas reportedly denied that it had fired the rocket and is thought to have made several arrests in connection with the incident.