Israeli closure of crossings lifted

Israeli authorities late last night lifted a general closure on travel between the occupied West Bank and Israel and between the blockaded Gaza Strip and Israel.

All military crossing were closed for three days on Sunday to mark the start of the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah, however they were reopened at one minute to midnight last night.

Palestinian workers, patients and those with permits to enter Jerusalem were allowed to pass through the checkpoints.

The Erez crossing between the Gaza Strip and Israel was also reopened as was the Kerem Shalom crossing which is the Strip’s only means to access fuel for its power station.

The electricity supply in Gaza was greatly limited following the Israeli war on the Strip in 2014 in addition to its strict siege which limits the entry of fuel. Residents suffer from daily power cuts of eight hours or more at a time.

During the closure, only humanitarian, medical, and exceptional cases were allowed to cross outside of the West Bank and Gaza, pending approval from COGAT, the Israeli agency responsible for implementing Israeli policies in the Palestinian territory.