Israel to begin allowing 20 trucks with construction materials enter Gaza daily; blockade easing part of ongoing ceasefire dialogue.
By YAAKOV LAPPINTrucks at the Kerem Shalom Crossing in Gaza 390 (R)(photo credit: Ibraheem Abu Mustafa / Reuters)
Israel will begin allowing 20 trucks a day filled with construction material to enter the Gaza Strip starting next week, defense officials told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday.The new construction material will be for the Palestinian private sector, as opposed to the construction material that has been entering Gaza until now, which was earmarked for internationally funded building projects.Private sector building materials have been banned since 2007 due to security concerns that the material is used to manufacture rockets that are fired at Israeli civilians.The easing of security conditions will also include entry permits for 60 trucks per day carrying other goods, as well as buses.Guy Inbar, of the Defense Ministry’s civil administration, said the changes came as a result of Egyptian mediation, and the ongoing calm in the South.“As long as the quiet will remain in the South, our civilian policy and assistance to Gaza’s residents will continue,” he said.In the coming days, residents of northern Gaza are expected to gain access to improved electricity infrastructure, aimed at reducing electrical problems experienced in the area.
