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Israel reopens Gaza's only commercial crossing after week-long closure

Israel Materials 13 April 2011 14:15 (UTC +04:00)

Israel on Wednesday reopened the only commercial crossing point with the Gaza Strip after a week of closure, a Palestinian official said, Xinhua reported.

About 250 trucks carrying cooking gas, diesel and aid for commercial and agricultural sectors will enter Gaza Wednesday and two truckloads of flowers would be exported through the Kerem Shalom crossing, said Ra'ed Fattouh, a Palestinian coordination official.

Israel cited security concerns when it closed the crossing last week.

Kerem Shalom is now the only crossing Israel uses to deliver goods, mainly food and consumer products, to the Gaza Strip. Since it imposed a near-total blockade on Gaza in 2007, Israel has shut down three other commercial crossings.

The closure of Kerem Shalom took an immediate toll on farmers, who are the only producers allowed to export a handful sorts of their products, mainly flowers and strawberries.

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