Israel announced the closure from Sunday of the Erez crossing to Palestinian workers and traders from the Gaza Strip after rocket fire from the Palestinian enclave towards Israel. The Erez crossing is the only crossing of people between the Gaza Strip and Israeli territory. Bordered by Egypt, the Mediterranean Sea and Israel, this poor territory has been subject to an Israeli blockade for more than 15 years.
“Following rocket fire (Friday), merchants and workers from Gaza will not be allowed to cross the Erez crossing on Sunday,” Cogat, the Israeli Defense Ministry body, said in a statement. oversees civilian activities in the Palestinian Territories. “The decision to reopen the crossing will be taken after an assessment of the security situation,” the statement added.
The Palestinian enclave suffers from a poverty rate of around 60% and endemic unemployment hovering around 50%. Thousands of Palestinians work in Israel, particularly in the construction and agricultural sectors, where they receive much higher wages than in Gaza.
Friday evening, two rockets were launched from the Gaza Strip controlled by the Islamists of Hamas towards Israel: one hit a field in Israeli territory and the other fell near a house in the Palestinian enclave. Early Saturday, a third rocket was fired at Israel, the army said. The shots caused no casualties.
Since Monday, several rockets have been fired from Gaza towards Israel, sparking Israeli air raids against the enclave. They caused no casualties and most of the projectiles were intercepted by the Israeli missile shield. Hamas organized a major demonstration on Friday in the enclave in solidarity with the Palestinians of East Jerusalem, where clashes on the esplanade of the Mosques with Israeli police left around fifty Palestinians injured on Friday.