Israel decided to tighten its blockade on the Gaza Strip and said that paid shipments of fuel and gas would not be allowed in through the Karam Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) border crossing.
A statement from Israeli war minister Avigdor Lieberman’s office on Wednesday said he had ordered a halt to fuel supplies into Gaza via the Karam Abu Salem crossing until further notice.
Lieberman’s office justified the decision by claiming it was taken in view of the continued launch of incendiary balloons and kites at Israel and the holding of weekly protests along the border fence in Gaza.
Israel had already prevented the entry of commercial goods to Gaza and slashed the fishing zone from six to three miles citing the same reasons for its decision.
Four months of weekly Friday border protests that began on March 30 have calmed slightly but organizers have vowed they will continue until Israel lifts its siege on Gaza.
At least 155 Palestinians have been killed and many others have suffered injuries in the border protests.
