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Israel closes Gaza crossings after rocket fire

Israel Materials 25 November 2008 12:28 (UTC +04:00)

Israel closed its commercial border crossings with the Hamas-run Gaza Strip on Tuesday after Palestinian militants fired a rocket toward the Jewish state, the Defence Ministry said.

An Israeli police spokesman said a rocket fired by militants toward Israel on Monday landed inside the Gaza Strip, failing to cross the border, reported Reuters.

Limited humanitarian aid was allowed into the coastal enclave for the second time in three weeks on Monday after Egypt prevailed on militant groups to halt rocket fire in return for Israel gradually lifting its blockade of the territory.

Israel clamped down on aid shipments to the Gaza Strip starting November 4, when a deadly army raid into the territory triggered a surge in rocket attacks. The violence threatened a five-month-old truce along the Israel-Gaza frontier.

Israel's closure of the crossings prompted the United Nations to warn of a looming humanitarian crisis.

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