Israel allows taxi imports into Gaza for first time since 2007

For the first time since 2007, Israeli authorities have allowed Thursday the import of taxis into the Gaza Strip for use.

The Gazan Head of Cars and Spare Parts Dealers Association, Ismail Al-Nakhalah, told Xinhua that six used taxis were allowed entry through the Israeli controlled Kerem Shalom checkpoint.

Al-Nakhalah said the total permitted by Israeli authorities is 36, and the remaining cars are expected to to be imported next week.

He clarified that the cars were produced in 2012, and will be used by the taxi drivers whose cars were destroyed or damaged during Israel's offensive on Gaza in the summer of 2014.

The association head hoped that that this is a first step toward permitting regular taxi imports into the Gaza Strip and called on the Palestinian ministry of transportation to increase its efforts toward achieving that.

Israel banned the import of new cars or used cars into the Gaza Strip since it imposed a blockade on the enclave in 2007.

In September 2010, it permitted entry of used imported cars but not new ones.

The cars are imported into the Strip through coordination between the Palestinian National Authority and Israel, and 110 cars are allowed into the Gaza Strip on a weekly basis. Endit