Israel allows 250 trucks into Gaza

First large convoy of trucks to enter Gaza after easing of blockade.

Gaza Truck 311 (photo credit: Yaakov Lappin)
Gaza Truck 311
(photo credit: Yaakov Lappin)
Israel facilitated the transfer of 250 trucks with supplies to the Gaza Strip on Monday for the first time since the government eased up restrictions on the amount and type of merchandise allowed into the Hamas-controlled territory.
In late June, Israel announced that it would ease the blockade on the Gaza Strip after it came under pressure following the naval raid on the Gaza-bound aid flotilla.
The trucks made their way into Gaza via the Kerem Shalom crossing.
In line with increasing the number of trucks allowed into Gaza, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories and the Palestinian Authority have established a joint Israeli-Palestinian team to coordinate work on the renovation of the Kerem Shalom crossing and future international construction projects in the Gaza Strip.
The work at Kerem Shalom will include the construction of infrastructure to facilitate the increase in trucks. The infrastructure could eventually be used by the PA if it were to receive control of the crossing from Israel.