Israel: The army and defence ministry have stated that Israeli forces ordered the suspension of all commercial goods leaving the Gaza Strip following an alleged attempt to smuggle explosives.
Israel’s military, responsible for overseeing the border crossings between Israel and the Palestinian enclave, announced that they discovered multiple kilograms of high-quality explosives concealed within a clothing delivery transported by three trucks at the Kerem Shalom crossing.
This information was released by the army and ministry in a statement issued on September 4, 2023.
The halting of all “commercial deliveries from Gaza to Israel” is being carried out to allow “security adjustments to be made at the crossing”, according to the statement.
“Deliveries will resume in accordance with subsequent situation assessments,” it added.
Israeli authorities informed Palestinian border officials that the crossing would be closed until further notice.
The Kerem Shalom crossing serves as the sole exit point for goods from Gaza, a territory that has been under a stringent Israeli blockade since Hamas took control in 2007.
This blockade has caused significant economic hardship, and the majority of Gaza’s population relies on foreign aid for their livelihoods.
The closure of the goods crossing point coincides with escalating tensions in the occupied West Bank and a surge in violence that has resulted in the deaths of at least 225 Palestinians this year.
During the same period, at least 32 Israelis, along with a Ukrainian and an Italian, have also lost their lives.
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