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Last update - 00:00 18/04/2008
Israel closes off West Bank and Gaza for duration of Passover
By Haaretz Service and News Agencies
Tags: Israel, Passover, West Bank 

Israel has imposed a complete closure on the West Bank and Gaza for at least a week, the duration of the Passover holiday.

The closure, which went into effect early Friday, will be in effect until the end of the holiday on April 26, according to a statement from the Israel Defense Forces.

The move comes a day after Gaza militants attacked a vital crossing, raising the possibility of a large-scale IDF offensive within weeks.
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The state usually imposes closures on the territories during the holidays, which are considered a sensitive security time.

Palestinians are banned from entering Israel, except for humanitarian cases, doctors and lawyers, the army statement said.

"The [military] regards the holiday period as a highly sensitive time, security-wise," the statement said. "The military will increase its alertness ... while preserving, to the best of its ability, the daily life of the Palestinian population," it said.

The IDF promised, despite the closure of Gaza and the West Bank, to continue transferring vital goods through Gaza crossings.

But at the time the army statement was released late Thursday, two of the main crossings were closed: Kerem Shalom, where Israel transships food and medicine, and the fuel depot at Nahal Oz - because of attacks by Palestinian militants.

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