Israel closes Gaza border crossings
Jerusalem dispute
CNN
Jerusalem: The Israeli military said it will close border crossings into Gaza beginning Thursday until further notice due to the security events and in accordance with security assessments, reports CNN. The crossings being closed, Kerem Shalom and Erez, are the only two on the Israeli border left. Israel has closed border crossings when tensions are high, some which have not been reopened to date. The territory is also under a naval blockade by the Israeli navy.
Kerem Shalom is the crossing point where goods and supplies are brought into Gaza; Erez is the point where people cross. Shutting the two points effectively cuts off Gaza from the rest of the world by land, save for its small Egyptian border, which is generally closed. The territory is also under a naval blockade by the Israeli navy.
The situation in the region has become increasingly heated since US President Donald Trump announced last week the United States recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and will eventually move its embassy to the holy city.
Jerusalems status is a fraught issue that many leaders have avoided. The United Nations partition plan, drawn up in 1947, envisioned the city neither as part of an Arab nor a Jewish state, but instead run separately under an international regime.
Trumps move drew the ire of leaders from across the world, many of whom are concerned it could be the final nail in the coffin of the two-state solution and could provide recruiting fodder to radicals. We shall not accept any role for the United States in the peace process, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said at an Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit Wednesday. Theyve proven their full bias in favor of Israel. Deadly protests broke out in Gaza, the West Bank and Jerusalem following Trumps announcement. There has also been an increase in the number of rockets fired from Gaza towards Israel.
