Israel allows temporary shipment of cement, tires to Gaza Strip

Israel will allow a temporary shipment of cement and tires through the Israeli-controlled commercial crossing of Kerem Shalom to the Gaza Strip, a senior official said Tuesday.

Jihad Isleem, spokesman of the private sector association in Gaza, said that shipment will be allowed from Tuesday evening until Wednesday morning.

“We hope that this will be permanent and not temporary,” said Isleem, adding that 6,000 tires will be shipped to Gaza later on Tuesday.

Trucks working at Kerem Shalom crossing between southeast Gaza and Israel have loaded cement and tires and stored them at the commercial crossing stores.

“We hope that there will be no obstacles. Tires have not been shipped to Gaza for more than a year and a half, which has badly affected the business of shipment and transportation companies and associations,” said Isleem.

Israel banned the shipment of tires to Gaza after Palestinian activists burned them during the weekly anti-Israel rallies and protests, better known as the Great March of Return, which started in late March 2018.

Israel has been imposing a blockade on the Gaza Strip right after Islamic Hamas movement forcibly took control of the enclave.

Israel banned the shipment of cement and other raw-materials to Gaza saying militants used it to manufacture weapons and build tunnels that go from eastern Gaza into Israel.

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Source: Xinhua