Israel reopens border crossings to Gaza

Israel opened the Kerem Shalom goods crossing and the Erez crossing with Gaza, just four days after shuttering them following a Palestinian rocket attack that sparked retaliatory strikes.

The move followed efforts to prevent an escalation in ongoing violence that has raised fears of a new war between Israel and the Palestinian territory’s Hamas.

“The decision comes after a decrease in the violent events in Gaza over the weekend and efforts Hamas made to restrain” demonstrators, a statement from Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman’s office read.

“The decision on the renewal of the fuel from Qatar has been put off as for the time being, and will be examined in a number of days based on the events,” the Tribune cited the statement from Lieberman as saying.

On Wednesday, Lieberman had ordered the closure of the crossings, after a rocket from the Palestinian territory hit a home in southern Israel, prompting the Jewish state to strike 20 Hamas targets in Gaza.