Amid criticism over his government's lack of response to the ongoing Gazan arsons on the Israeli side of the border, Prime Minister Netanyahu announced Monday that Israel will close the Kerem Shalom border crossing that serves as the main entry point for commercial goods and humanitarian aid into the Strip.
An IDF statement said Kerem Shalom would remain open for the transfer of specially approved humanitarian goods. It also said Gaza's fishing zone would revert to 11 km after it was temporarily expanded to 17 km.
Minister Avigdor Liberman said that he had instructed the IDF to take a number of steps to respond to Hamas ongoing provocations on the border: "They will start to understand that it doesn't work in just one direction," he said."We are not looking for a confrontation or for a military venture but in the way Hamas operates, the situation deteriorates and Hamas is liable to pay the full price, a much heavier price than Operation Protective Edge,".
Over the past 3 months hundreds of fires were started inside Israel by airborne incendiary devices from Gaza, on a daily basis.
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Hamas slammed Israel's decision on Monday to close the Kerem Shalom crossing, the strip's main commercial crossing, calling it a crime against humanity.
"Netanyahu's approval of additional measures to intensify the siege and prevent the entry of materials and goods to Gaza is a new crime against humanity," Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said.
The spokesman also accused the international community of being silent on "the crime of the suffocating siege on the Gaza Strip," and called on it to take immediate action to end the blockade of the Strip.
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The Islamic Jihad in Gaza said the step was a new declaration of war and vowed to respond:
"Once again, the government of Zionist terror announces a war on the Palestinian people by intensifying its oppressive siege that has multiplied the suffering of the Palestinian people for more than 11 years," it said in a statement."We are coordinating with the factions and forces to evaluate all developments, including the occupation's most recent measures, which we are dealing with as a new declaration of war on the Palestinian people," Islamic Jihad added.
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33 Gazan balloon fires were reported today in Israel, most of them were considered on a small scale.
Photos: The Kerem Shalom crossing, and fires caused by flame balloons from Gaza in recent weeks
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