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Palestinian official says Israel cuts amount of goods allowed into Gaza

Xinhua, October 27, 2016 Adjust font size:

A Palestinian official said on Thursday that Israel has decreased the amount of goods allowed into the Gaza Strip until further notice.

The Palestinian liaison officer and coordinator in charge of goods shipment into the Gaza Strip, Raed Fattouh, told Xinhua that Israeli authorities informed them of the reduction of trucks allowed into Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing, down from 450 to 500 trucks to 340 trucks a day.

Fattouh said the "surprise" decision went immediately into effect with no end date declared, stressing that the new measures come as Palestinians demand an increase in the number of trucks allowed into Gaza.

No Israeli reaction regarding the announcement was available.

Independent parliamentarian Jamal Al-Khudary, who heads the Popular Committee to Defy the Israeli Blockade, warned of consequences of this step by Israel on the economically exhausted Gaza Strip.

This step affects "the basic needs and basic food stuff and would pull Gaza into new crises to hit what is left of partial economic resilience," Al-Khudary said in an emailed press statement.

Gazans will suffer both direct and indirect losses, including the shortage of goods and increased prices as well as damage to the already ailing transportation, commercial and industry sectors, he said, urging the international community to "save 2 million Palestinians living in the Strip under dire conditions."

Israel has used the Kerem Shalom crossing as the sole commercial crossing with Gaza since the beginning of 2012, after closing four other crossings around Gaza, while using the Erez Crossing only for the passage of individuals, such as businessmen and humanitarian cases into Israel or the West Bank.

Israel imposed a tight blockade on the Gaza Strip since the Islamic Hamas movement seized control over it by force after uprooting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' security forces in 2007. Endit