Israel reopened its Kerem Shalom border crossing with Gaza on Wednesday, which will be kept open as long as the calming of rockets and mortar fire from Gaza continues.
The crossing, which is the main point of entry for goods into the Gaza Strip, was closed on 9th July after weeks of violence along the border, including near constant rocket attacks and the hurling of incendiary balloons into nearby Israeli communities. The crossing was closed to everything apart from food and medical equipment.
Fuel and gasoline shipments into the Gaza Strip have been allowed at some points and frozen at others, depending upon the intensity of attacks from the territory.
The army said that Kerem Shalom was returning to full operations and Gazan fishermen were allowed to travel nine nautical miles (10.4 miles) off the coast, following orders issued by Defence Minister Avigdor Liberman.
Mr Liberman posted a message in Arabic on Facebook explaining that the reopening of the border crossing and the extension of the fishing waters are “a clear message to the residents of the Gaza Strip: peace and quiet are worth it and violence is not”.
