Agencies-Gaza post
Israel decides to close Gaza crossing after missile attacks
Israel decides to close its only crossing for Palestinian workers coming from the Gaza Strip after it declared three missiles were launched from the besieged territory, as stresses keep raising during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
The decision was announced on Saturday, comes after the Israeli occupation accused Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Movement in the Gaza Strip, of firing three missiles into Israel late on Friday.
One fell in an open field inside Israel, while another fell inside the Palestinian territory, the Israeli troops said, without giving details on the third one.
Earlier this week, the Israeli troops said four missiles were launched from Gaza but were blocked by air defense systems.
COGAT, a unit of the defense ministry responsible for Palestinian civil affairs, stated in a statement, “Following the rockets fired toward Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip last night, it was decided that crossings into Israel for Gazan merchants and workers through the Erez Crossing will not be permitted this upcoming Sunday.”
Israel carried out air attacks in different areas of the Gaza Strip twice last week with the Israeli military telling its fighter jets hit military targets.
The exchange of fire took place amid boosting the tension at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem which has been at the center of days of violence following a series of Israeli raids into the holy site, which started at the start of Ramadan.
Over 57 Palestinians were wounded on Friday when Israeli forces ransacked the mosque and assaulted worshippers with rubber-coated bullets, stun grenades, and fired teargas.
Teargas was also fired after Friday prayers, shooting Palestinians worshipping at the Dome of the Rock inside the compound.
Al-Aqsa poses atop the Old City plateau of East Jerusalem, which Israel arrested in a 1967 war and annexed in a move that has not been identified internationally.
Palestinians want occupied East Jerusalem as the capital of their hoped-for future state.
