Israel is set to allow Palestinian merchants to enter a border crossing for the first time in nearly 18 months after stringent coronavirus regulations barred entrance.
The military announced the development Friday and said permits for 1,350 Gaza residents, including 1,000 Palestinian merchants and 350 business people, would be approved in the coming days, according to the Times of Israel. The traders, who must either be fully vaccinated or have recovered from the virus, will enter through the Erez crossing.
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The pathway, which allowed merchants to travel from Gaza to the West Bank, was shuttered during the early days of the pandemic and has remained closed ever since. The country has also moved to allow further exchanges of goods through the Kerem Shalom crossing, which was tightly regulated during the prolonged May conflict between Israel and Hamas that saw 256 Palestinians killed and 12 Israelis pronounced dead.
Tensions between the two foes have been markedly low since the spurt of violence, though last week balloons loaded with incendiary devices sparked fires in southern Israel after they were launched from Gaza.
“Israel is interested in calm and has no interest in harming Gaza residents, but violence … will be met with a strong response,” Prime Minister Naftali Bennett warned following the attacks.
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Israel has suffered approximately 924,762 coronavirus cases since the pandemic began, with 6,604 reported deaths. Nearly 60% of the Israeli population is fully vaccinated.
