Israeli authorities on Wednesday morning reopened the Kerem Shalom and Erez border crossings into the Gaza Strip after they were closed for two days during the Jewish new year holiday. Palestinian official Raed Fattouh, who chairs a committee for commercial coordination, told Ma'an that 900 truckloads of goods were expected to enter the coastal enclave Wednesday, including construction material for Qatari-funded projects and much-needed fuel for both domestic and commercial uses. Kerem Shalom is a commercial crossing in the southern Gaza Strip, while Erez lies in the coastal enclave's north, near the town of Beit Hanoun, and is used for pedestrians and vehicles. On Monday, during the crossings' closure, Israeli forces arrested five Palestinians they said were attempting to cross the border fence into Israeli territory. Israel has imposed a crippling blockade on Gaza since 2007, restricting the movement of both people and goods in and out of the territory. The restriction of fuel into the territory has led to a power crisis, and Palestinians have staged a number of demonstrations to protest the crisis in recent days.
