The Kerem Shalom crossing that had been opened in the Gaza Strip in order to allow humanitarian assistance to flow into the Strip during the present internal conflict has been closed for two days.

The reason for the closure are attempts by militants to carry out attacks against the facilities at the crossing, including shootings and mortar attacks. Israel said it hoped goods could be transfered via other crossings.

A large explosive device was uncovered close to Kerem Shalom on Tuesday, in the southern Gaza Strip.

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Sufa crossing operative

The Sufa crossing is still functioning. However intelligence reports have warned that it is also a possible target for terrorist attacks and it is uncertain how much longer it will remain open for traffic.

Some 80 trucks of food supplies crossed through Sufa into Gaza yesterday, providing the Strip with much more than the minimum daily requirements.

The shipment also included 600,000 plants for use by farmers in greenhouses in the Gaza Strip.

Another crossing that has been closed down recently, and which is used for much of the Palestinian exports, is the Karni crossing.

In spite the closures, an Israeli security official expressed optimism yesterday by saying that "we will find a way of transferring goods even without the Karni crossing."

During periods of calm, when the Karni crossing was open to the Palestinians, the flower export business flourished.