Several days after it was sealed off following the Palestinian attacks on Gaza's border fence Saturday, the Sufa border crossing in the southern Strip has reopened Tuesday morning.
More than 86 trucks carrying food and medical supplies are expected to enter Gaza until noon.
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The Erez crossing in northern Gaza, which was closed Monday, will also open later in the day. This crossing mainly serves Palestinian patients entering Israel to receive medical attention. The Nahal Oz fuel terminal and the Kerem Shalom crossing will remain sealed off at this time.
According to security officials, Hamas' attacks on the border fence are aimed at getting Israel to seal off the crossings, thus worsening the crisis in Gaza and as a consequence attracting the attention, and support, of the international community.
The equipment allowed into Gaza, one official explained, was necessary in order to sustain the Palestinian population. "This certainly involves difficult dilemmas. On the one hand we don’t want a humanitarian crisis in the Strip or to play into Hamas' hands by contributing to the notion that Israel is to blame for the situation.
"On the other hand, we are dealing with concrete terror threats and are trying to reduce, as much as possible, the risk posed to those operating the crossings," he stated.
Repeated attacks on border
Thirteen IDF soldiers were wounded Saturday in two attacks by Palestinian terror groups near the Kerem Shalom commercial terminal and the Kissufim border crossing.
Hamas' military wing, Izz al-Din al-Qassam, claimed responsibility for the attacks, during which two car bombs were activated near soldiers and fire was opened at the forces.
About a week ago, an IDF Bedouin Desert Patrol force thwarted an infiltration attempt by a Palestinian cell near Kerem Shalom. One gunman was killed and another one was injured in the clash with soldiers.
Another attack on the Nahal Oz fuel terminal two weeks ago left two civilians dead.
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