Israel closes people crossing with Gaza after border violence

20 Aug, 2018

Israel closed its only crossing for people with the Gaza Strip on Sunday except for humanitarian cases after weekend border clashes, the latest tightening of its blockade on the Palestinian enclave despite truce efforts. The move could prevent Gazans from travelling via the crossing for this week's Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, which runs from Monday night until Thursday night, but Israeli officials did not say how long the closure would last. Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said the closure of the Erez crossing was due to "violent incidents on the border last Friday". The Palestinian Authority civilian affairs office in the Gaza Strip also confirmed the closure except for medical cases and Palestinians seeking to cross back into the enclave.

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