Subscribe to Print Edition | Tue., July 01, 2008 Sivan 28, 5768 | | Israel Time: 20:51 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Car Rental Books Peres Conference Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Last update - 11:44 01/07/2008 Israel keeps Gaza crossings closed, as Egypt eases Rafah border By Haaretz Service Tags: Israel, Hamas, cease-fire  Israel kept border crossings to the Gaza Strip closed again on Tuesday, after militants fired a Qassam rocket at the western Negev a day earlier in a further violation of a shaky truce. The defense establishment decided late Monday to keep the border crossed, despite the a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas which stipulates a gradual lifting of the siege on Gaza. A military spokeswoman said only pedestrian traffic would be permitted for the time being. Palestinian officials said the closure meant a long-awaited shipment of cement would not be allowed through. Advertisement Two early warning "Color Red" sirens were heard Monday in the Sha'ar Hanegev area and a rocket struck an open field shortly after. No injuries or damage were reported. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for what was the fourth such attack since the Egypt-brokered truce went into effect on June 19. On Sunday, Israel reopened three of its border crossings with the Gaza Strip after cross-border rocket fire stopped. Israel had shut the crossings on June 25 after an Islamic Jihad rocket salvo which the Palestinian faction said was in retaliation for Israel's killing of one of its leaders in the West Bank. On Tuesday, Egypt again opened the Rafah crossing - Gaza's main gateway to the outside world - for two days to allow hundreds of people stranded on both sides to cross. Palestinian diplomat Nabil Amr told reporters in Cairo on Monday that Palestinians needing medical treatment and those with residency permits in Egypt or other countries abroad would be allowed into Egypt. Fifty Gazans with medical conditions were to be the first allowed out, traveling across the border in ambulances. Although Rafah lies on the Gaza-Egypt border, Israel has had the power to halt the crossing's operations because Europeans monitoring the passage require Israeli security clearance to operate. That clearance has not been given since the Hamas takeover last year, and Israel has insisted that Rafah would not return to normal business until Hamas releases IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, captured in a cross-border raid two years ago. Also Tuesday, Hamas accused the Israel Defense Forces of shooting a 65-year-old Palestinian woman who lives near Israel-Gaza border in what he called a "grave violation of the calm understanding." The military said its preliminary investigation indicated it was not involved. In the past, soldiers have fired to drive off people who approach the volatile frontier. Related articles: Israel reopens Gaza crossings after closures over Qassams Hamas: Qassam fire is harming Palestinian interests Bookmark to del.icio.us   Death penalty Iran hands down death sentence to man who spied for Israel. Robot hospital The place where IDF treats droids wounded in the line of fire.   1.   The truce is not respected : Destroy the terrorists. 10:51  |  jean Van Daem 01/07/08   2.   Israel is violating the Palestinian peoples` fundamental rights 11:48  |  Dutch 01/07/08   3.   And we`ll never hear anything more about it 12:38  |  Colin Wright 01/07/08   4.   Dutch says the Arabs have fundamental right to kill Jews 13:57  |  x-ray 01/07/08   5.   According To Dutch, Firings of Qassams Into Israel Are a Moehill 18:02  |  Douglas Fireman 01/07/08

Read & React U.S. State Department denies report Israel likely to strike Iran this year Responses: 269 New law: Israel to cede land only by referendum Responses: 177 Poll: 76% of Israelis feel safer as Jews in Israel than Diaspora Responses: 78 Palestinians who approach Gaza fence will be shot, says IDF Responses: 115 Haaretz.com TV / Kiryat Gat tells its girls: No romancing with Bedouin Responses: 91 Rosner's Domain Why do Arabs support Hamas over Fatah? The possibility of an Israeli air strike on Iran (WTR) New poll: Do you believe Israel might attack Iran? Israel's image still under renovation Is Time's Joe Klein being honest when he criticizes Joe Lieberman? More Headlines 20:21 Olmert: Don't interpret Israel's restraint in Gaza as weakness 20:01 State Dept. denies report Israel likely to attack Iran this year 18:47 Historic handshake: Barak meets Iraq's president in Athens 14:50 Lebanon: Hezbollah prisoner swap marks 'failure' for Israel 19:27 The French-Israeli fairytale 15:58 IN PICTURES: Snake meets mouse for lunch in Eilat 16:30 Israeli museum returns Nazi-looted artifacts to Polish owners 19:59 VIDEO / Kiryat Gat tells its school girls: No romancing with Bedouin 18:32 Kadima MK calls on press, politicians to cease talk of Barak investigation 17:57 Israeli Arab MKs petition court against law banning travel to enemy states 10:12 Olmert: Let's speed up deal for Shalit 15:18 Former cellmate says Samir Kuntar never meant to kill anyone 13:57 Iranian official: 'Provocative' speeches harm nuclear cause 12:05 Israel denies it mistreated Gaza journalist at Jordan crossing Previous Editions Select Day 30 jun 29 jun 27 jun 26 jun 25 jun 24 jun 23 jun 22 jun 20 jun 19 jun 18 jun 17 jun

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