Israel to reopen main border crossing
(AP)
Updated: 2006-05-17 14:35
Israel will reopen the country's main cargo border crossing with the Gaza
Strip on Wednesday, military officials said.
Boaz Wultz, left,
holds up the shirt Daniel Wultz, 16, was wearing when he was wounded in a
suicide bombing as Daniel's father, Tuly, center, and Rabbi Yisroel
Spalter, right, look on during a news conference outside the family home
Tuesday, May 16, 2006, in Weston, Fla. Daniel Wultz was having lunch with
his father at a Tel Aviv restaurant April 17 when a Palestinian suicide
bomber detonated about 10 pounds of explosives in the entrance. Wultz and
10 other people were killed in the attack, including the suicide bomber.
[AP] |
The decision by Defense Minister Amir Peretz to reopen the Karni crossing
signaled a possible softening of government policy toward the Palestinians
following the election of the Hamas-led government in January, the military
officials said on condition of anonymity because a formal announcement had not
been made.
Israel has kept the Karni crossing closed for much of the year, largely due
to attacks by militants. It is the main outlet to the world for Palestinian
imports and exports.
Palestinian officials said Wednesday they had not yet received word from
Israel that the crossing would be opened. Israel's Defense Ministry did not
immediately confirm the reopening.
Last month, five Palestinians were injured when militants tried to ram an
explosives-laden car into the crossing on the Palestinian side. Militants also
tried to bomb the crossing in February. Israeli security officials have said
they feared more attacks on the crossing were planned.
Palestinians rely on the crossing for exports, especially fruits and
vegetables they grow in the hot, coastal area. They also import much of their
food through Karni, including dairy products and flour.
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