Supplies for Gaza at the Kerem Crossing

“‘No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.  This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me,’ declares the Lord.”  (Isaiah 54:17)

On Monday, Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon announced plans to open the Erez Crossing to Gaza.  The crossing has been closed to commercial traffic for at least eight years.

“It is in our interests that a significant amount of truckloads of food continues to go to Gaza,” said Ya’alon’s spokesperson.  “It is our interest that Gazans live in dignity, both from a humanitarian point of view and because this is a way to protect the peace, in addition to existing security deterrents.”

The plans to open the Erez Crossing “will not happen tomorrow or the day after,” but soon, he stated.

Opening it to vehicles will redirect “at least half of what currently goes [into Gaza] via Kerem Shalom,” where there is much congestion, says the spokesperson.

A significant amount already enters Gaza from Israel daily—an average of 800 trucks, according to The Jerusalem Post.  Member of Knesset Haim Jelin suggests the number is closer to 1,000.

The day before the Monday announcement, the Defense Ministry’s Coordinator for Government Activities in the Territories processed 513 trucks of humanitarian goods to Gaza that Sunday alone.  (TOI)

Ten Gazans cross through the Erez Crossing to receive medical treatment in Israel.  (2011 IDF Spokesperson Unit photo by Cpl. Gal Ashuach)

In 2006, Israel imposed a blockade on Gaza by air, land, and sea in order to monitor Hamas’ weapon imports, while permitting vetted humanitarian aid, food, and civilian resources.  Israel also allows cement into Gaza, much of which has ultimately been redirected for terror-tunnel infrastructure.

The Erez Crossing to the north of the Gaza Strip has permitted only foot traffic in between Israel and Gaza since 2008, with commercial vehicles routed to Kerem Shalom via Route 232.

In the last four years, Israel has faced at least two wars with Hamas, which is an internationally recognized terrorist group and the ruling party of Gaza.  It has declared war on Israelis and Jews and indoctrinates its children to conduct suicidal “martyrdom” missions against its Jewish neighbors.

Despite the recent terror wave since September 2015 — often fueled by Hamas militants — a 2014 truce between Gaza and Israel has largely held.  (JPost)

Nevertheless, Israel has had to intervene to block the rearmament of Hamas and other terrorist operatives in Gaza.

At a third crossing accessible to Gaza, the Nitzana Border Crossing, which links Nitzana, Israel, with Abu Ujaylah, Egypt, the Israel Security Agency recently found and blocked four tons of ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) buried in 36 tons of salt.  NH4Cl is a commercial commodity as well as an ingredient in long-range rockets, a weapon of choice against Israel.  (JOnline)

Dozens of attempted shipments to Gaza have been intercepted by Israeli security forces and were found to contain sulfuric acid, rocket propellants, polyurethane, sulfur bars, fiberglass, coal made for metal processing, and diving suits.