Among the goods brought into Gaza on Thursday, officials said, were pebble aggregates to be used for expanding the Kerem Shalom crossing facilities.

The expansion comes in line with Israeli announcements that under the new terms of the siege on Gaza, crossings facilities would be upgraded.

Aid groups have questioned the expansion of the southernmost Kerem Shalom crossing, when the bulk goods terminal at Karni in the north is used only twice a week. Before the siege began, Karni was the principal transport terminal for bringing goods into Gaza, bringing in some 10,000 truckloads a month.

Crossings closed Friday

Gaza commercial crossings controlled by Israel were sealed on Friday morning, as officials decided to maintain the reduced schedule of operations for goods transport, Palestinian liaison officers were told.

The crossings will be shut all of Friday, though they were scheduled to be open, and will remain closed on Saturday for the Israeli sabbath. The crossings have been closed on Fridays since August 2009, with one exception in February for an emergency fuel delivery through the now dismantled Nahal Oz fuel terminal.

Palestinian crossings coordination official Raed Fattouh told Ma’an that “we were informed by the Israelis that the Karem Shalom and Karni crossings would be shut down for Friday and Saturday to opened on Sunday morning.”