Israel reopens Gaza crossing after two weeks of closure

Israel on Thursday reopened its main crossing point with the Gaza Strip after closing it for two weeks amid protests. The sole pedestrian Erez Crossing between Gaza and Israel, has been reopened for Palestinian workers to enter Israel, the Office of the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), an Israeli Defence Ministry unit that coordinates with the Palestinians, announced in a joint statement. The crossing will remain open “depending on the assessment of the situation and the security stability”, Xinhua news agency quoted the statement as saying. Israel closed the crossing for the Jewish new year holiday on September 15, citing security concerns. Approximately 18,000 Gazans hold permits from Israeli authorities to work in Israel, bringing much-needed funds into the economy of the Palestinian enclave, which has been under an Israeli-Egyptian blockade since 2007.