Kerem Shalom terminal (archives) Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit
Kerem Shalom goods crossing reopened
Southern Strip terminal shut down for security reasons six weeks ago. Some 160 trucks containing humanitarian aid to enter Gaza through three crossings Tuesday
The Kerem Shalom terminal in the southern Gaza Strip was expected to reopen Tuesday after being closed for six weeks for security reasons.
Some 20 trucks carrying humanitarian aid to the Palestinians were expected to pass through the terminal, while 60 additional trucks containing equipment and medications were to cross the border at the Suffa crossing.
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The Kerem Shalom crossing was used as an alternative terminal after the Karni crossing in the northern Strip was shut down. The terminal was shut down, however, after the defense establishment received warnings on terror organization's plans to carry out attacks at the area, and after mortar shells were fired at the terminal while goods were passing through it.
On Tuesday, the IDF was instructed to reopen the crossing, allowing a limited number of trucks to enter Gaza while following the developments in the area on a daily basis.
Several days ago, the Palestinian health minister asked Major-General Yosef Mishlav, the coordinator of the government's activities in the territories, to allow the transport of medications into the Strip through.
Sixty trucks were expected to pass through the Suffa crossing with medications, as well as equipment and food from the United Nations and donations from Jordan and Turkey. In addition, 80 trucks carrying grains were to enter the Strip through the Karni crossing.
Sources in the defense establishment said that the trucks' passage was aimed at limiting the damage caused to the Palestinian civilian population. According to the officials, the terror organizations are the ones cynically attempting to harm this process.
Hospitals in the Gaza Strip continued to collapse under the load of work following the IDF's Operation Warm Winter.
Medical sources in Gaza reported that four Palestinians seriously injured by IDF fire over the weekend had died of their wounds. The four were evacuated to hospitals in Egypt after the Strip's hospital was unable to provide them with sufficient medical care.
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