Official says Israel to re-open Gaza crossing

Israeli authorities on Thursday re-opened the Karem Shalom crossing into Gaza after closing it a day earlier, a Palestinian official said Maan reported.

Border official Raed Fattouh told Ma'an that Israel is expected to permit 167 truckloads of medical aid, clothes, shoes, fruit, and livestock to enter Gaza on Thursday.

On Wednesday officials in the local Palestinian liaison office told Ma'an the Kerem Shalom and the Erez crossing were closed in both directions.

An Israeli liaison official told Ma'an the crossings were closed because of the "security situation" and did not know when they would reopen.

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights condemned what it termed Israel's targeting of the Palestinian customs checkpoint, injuring a policeman.

The closures of both crossings followed an upsurge of violence that seemed to be decreasing Thursday after Egyptian mediation between Israel and armed groups in Gaza.

On Wednesday, Israel killed a Hamas militant in an airstrike which it said was intended to stop rocket launches. A day earlier Israeli forces killed three Hamas-affiliated fighters, saying they had either launched attacks or were about to do so.

In southern Israel, three agricultural workers were wounded when a rocket exploded near them Wednesday. A military spokeswoman said 86 projectiles had been fired at Israel between Tuesday and Wednesday and that the Iron Dome system had intercepted eight.