Hundreds of Israeli demonstrators on Tuesday prevented the entrance of dozens of food aid-laden trucks to enter into the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, a Palestinian official told Xinhua.

Ra'ed Fatouh, Gaza commercial crossings' coordinator, said the Israeli demonstrators prevented 73 trucks and lorries loaded with humanitarian food aids, adding "only seven trucks were hardly allowed to cross into Gaza."

He added that the Israeli authorities informed him earlier that it decided to partially reopen three commercial crossings on the border between Israel and Gaza to allow goods and aids sent by international humanitarian organizations.

On Tuesday morning, hundreds of Israelis arrived at the Israel-Gaza commercial crossings and tried to prevent the aid-laden trucks from entering into the enclave in solidarity with captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.

Shalit was abducted in the summer of 2006 outside southeast Gaza Strip in triple attacks carried out by Hamas militants and two other less influential armed groups.

Fatouh said the Israeli demonstrators tried to block the movement of the trucks heading to Gaza Strip commercial crossings, mainly Karni, Kerem Shalom and Erez. They insisted to know the fate of the captive soldier.

Shalit, a 22-year-old corporal holding Israeli and French nationalities, is still held in Gaza, while Egypt has been mediating indirect talks between Israel and Hamas to finalize a prisoners' swap deal.

"The demonstration has blocked the arrival of aid and fuels into the blockaded Gaza Strip," said Fatouh, in reference to a tight Israeli blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip for more than two years.

Palestinian eyewitnesses said they saw dozens of Israeli soldiers and policemen pushing the demonstrators away and asking them not to block the movements of the trucks.

Israeli media reported earlier that several Israeli shipping companies announced on Tuesday that it decided not to move goods to the Gaza Strip until the fate of the captive Israeli soldier is known.

Israeli Radio's Arabic service has also reported that the shipping companies decision came as part of a series of activities organized by the Israeli corporation to struggle for Shalit's release.

Israeli hawkish Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had issued on Monday instructions to all his political and security establishments "to do their utmost efforts to guarantee the release of Shalit."

He said during his Likud Party convention that he personally and his government "are fully responsible for releasing Shalit," adding that he will include this issue in his upcoming talks in Italy and France that he will visit later on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Meanwhile, earlier on Monday, Israeli media revealed that there is an Egyptian initiative of three provisions aimed at releasing Shalit and finalizing the prisoners' swap deal between Hamas and Israel.

The report said that the Egyptian initiative includes a complete long-term ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, reaching a reconciliation between rival Fatah and Hamas and lifting the blockade on Gaza.

Hamas officials denied they knew or heard about such an initiative.

Salah el-Bardaweel, a Hamas lawmaker, told Xinhua that "such reports are just media popup," adding "so far, there has been nothing new in the file of Gilad Shalit."

Hamas demands the release of 1,450 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, some of them with life sentences, others women, children, patients, as well as lawmakers and ministers detained after Shalit was abducted.

(Xinhua News Agency June 24, 2009)