More goods let into Gaza

2008-06-22 17:36

Jerusalem - Israel increased the trickle of badly needed goods flowing into the Gaza Strip on Sunday, a military spokesperson said, in the latest stage of a four-day-old truce with Hamas militants.

A total of 90 truckloads of supplies were transferred across the frontier from Israeli to Palestinian vehicles, up from between 60 and 70 before the truce went into effect. Further increases are expected if the cease-fire holds.

Ihab Ghussen, a spokesperson for the Hamas-controlled Interior Ministry in Gaza, said the increase was in keeping with the terms of the truce brokered by Egypt.

Among goods shipped on Sunday were milk, fruit and vegetables, diapers, toilet paper and shoes, Palestinian security officials said.

Other goods barred from Gaza during a year-long economic blockade, like cement, are supposed to be allowed in 10 days after the beginning of the truce, Ghussen said.

Fuel

Hamas militiamen were seen taking up positions near the crossings to monitor the flow of traffic.

Hamas seeks an eventual role in policing the crossings, perhaps with security personnel loyal to Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas or an international force acting as a buffer between the Islamic militants and Israeli troops.

The amount of fuel sent into Gaza remained unchanged on Sunday.

Israel has slashed fuel shipments in response to attacks from Gaza, leading to a severe shortage and crippling transportation in the territory. Israel has not said whether fuel supplies will be increased as part of the truce.

The truce has been holding since it went into effect on Thursday morning following months of clashes between the Israeli military and Gaza militants firing rockets at Israeli towns and attacking Israeli troops along the border.

A rocket warning system sounded an alert in southern Israel early Sunday, sending residents scrambling for bomb shelters. But the military said no rocket had been fired and the alert was likely the result of a technical malfunction.

- AP