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Israel reduces permits for Gazans using Erez

March 29, 2017 at 8:01 am

Israel has reduced the number of permits given to Gaza residents wishing to travel to the occupied West Bank through the Erez crossing, local media reported.

According to the Hebrew website Walla, the Israel Security Agency formed a specialised team to detect smuggling attempts on the Kerem Shalom crossing, the only commercial border point for the Gaza Strip, and to identify Palestinians with close links to Hamas using the Erez crossing.

The new team, which is directly supervised by the Shin Bet agency, has reduced the number of permits granted to Palestinian traders and travellers, the report said.

Read: Israel denies Palestinian education minister access to Gaza

The report said security officials cited security concerns which forced them to limit access through the crossing.

The added limitations are a further blow to Palestinians living under the already stifling decade-long siege on the Gaza Strip which limits their movements, access to the outside word and ability to import goods. It has also led to severe electricity shortages and a lack of building materials to rebuild and restore homes destroyed and damaged by Israel’s assault on the Strip in 2014.