Israel reopens Gaza crossing after nearly two weeks

The defense ministry said Israel restored its lone crossing with the Gaza Strip to Palestinian labourers on Sunday, nearly two weeks after barring it due to protests.

“Following an assessment of the security situation, it has been decided… to open Erez Crossing for passage of workers and permit holders from the Gaza Strip into Israel, beginning Sunday,” said COGAT, a unit of the Israeli defense ministry responsible for Palestinian civil affairs.

The crossing is used by 12,000 Palestinians with permits to enter Israel for work.

Although the Gaza border was quiet, Israel closed the crossing on May 3 before of Israel’s national memorial and independence days, and amid Palestinian disturbances in the occupied West Bank.

Israel and Hamas, the poor coastal enclave’s militant rulers, have clashed several times in the last 15 years, most recently in May of last year.

Tensions and violence in and around Jerusalem during April, when Muslims commemorated the holy fasting month of Ramadan, prompted Israeli officials to dread a new conflict with Gaza, although this did not occur.

According to a recent World Bank estimate, the unemployment rate in Gaza, a Palestinian region with a population of 2.3 million people, is approximately 48 percent, with employment in Israel serving as a key lifeline for the enclave’s economy.