The Israeli authorities have decided to reopen the Karm Abu Salem commercial crossing on Sunday, September 10, Reuters reported.
After investigation and “necessary modifications,” the crossing became safe to reopen, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) — a Defense Ministry body responsible for Palestinian civil affairs — said.
The decision comes after it was closed to the export of goods from the Gaza Strip on Monday, September 4, following an attempt to smuggle explosives.
Karem Abu Salem (called Kerem Shalom by Israel) is the only commercial crossing into Gaza, through which construction materials, goods, fuel, and foodstuffs needed by the Strip are entered.
Its closure caused a major economic and living crisis for its residents.
The Israeli suspension comes as tensions rise across the region amid a series of Palestinian attacks in Israel and the West Bank that have resulted in the deaths of 27 civilians and three soldiers and seriously injured several others since the beginning of the year.
The number of Palestinians who have been killed by Israeli army bullets since the beginning of this year has risen to 232.
A total of 182 people died in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, making 2023 one of the deadliest years in the occupied territories.
