Israel To Close Gaza Crossings For Jewish Holidays

Israel will close two of its border crossings with the Gaza Strip for two days starting Wednesday for the upcoming Jewish holiday season, a Palestinian official said Tuesday.



"Israeli authorities will shut the Kerem Shalom and Erez border crossings on Wednesday and Thursday for the Jewish holidays," Palestinian Authority (PA) border chief Nazmi Mehanna told The Anadolu Agency.



Blockaded by Israel since 2007 – by air, land and sea – the Gaza Strip has seven border crossings linking it to the outside world.



Six of these are controlled by Israel, while a seventh – the Rafah crossing – is controlled by Egypt, which keeps it tightly sealed for the most part.



Israel sealed four of its commercial crossings with Gaza in June 2007 after Hamas wrested control of the strip from the West Bank-based PA.



The Kerem Shalom crossing is dedicated to commercial use, while the Erez crossing is generally used for the movement of individuals between the blockaded Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank.



The blockade has deprived the Gaza Strip's roughly 1.9 million inhabitants of their most basic needs.



www.aa.com.tr/en - Gazze