Days Of Palestine – Gaza

Israel last night closed Gaza’s border crossings and the entire fishing area as a ceasefire agreed between Israel and the Palestinian factions in Gaza went into effect last night, according to reports.

But before the ceasefire went into effect at 11:30 p.m. local time, a barrage of rockets fired from Gaza fell in southern Israel for the second day in a row in retaliation for Israel’s airstrikes that medical sources said resulted in the injury of at least five people in addition to eight others injured when an Israeli Iron Dome missile fell near a house in Shajaiyeh neighborhood, east of Gaza City.

Reports said Israel ordered shut down until further notice of Karm Abu Salem/Kerem Shalom border crossing, which is considered Gaza’s only commercial crossing with Israel, except for food, fuel and medical supplies, Erez/Beit Hanoun border crossing except for humanitarian cases and the entire fishing area, one of Gaza’s main income sources.

Israel claimed the strikes came in response to rockets fired by Islamic Jihad operatives in Gaza into southern Israel that did not cause any injury or damage.

The Islamic Jihad said it fired the rockets into Israel in retaliation against the Israeli killing yesterday of a Palestinian in Khan Yunis and for the grotesque pictures of an Israeli army bulldozer mutilating his body as it dragged it on the ground while trying to snatch it.