All border-crossing passages between Israel and the Gaza Strip will remain closed until further notice, the Israeli defence ministry said Friday, hours after six Israeli civilians were killed in a militant attack at one such crossing.
Karni, in the Gaza Strip, was closed immediately after an overnight attack perpetrated by three Palestinian gunmen who planted about 100kg of explosives at the terminal’s entrance.
The main crossing of Erez, north of the Palestinian territory, was ordered shut later on Friday and Rafah, down south, was sealed off after yet another attack five weeks ago.
“These three crossings will remain closed as long as Palestinians do not take the necessary measures to ensure their protection,” the ministry said in a statement, which also underscored that the border passages had been previously targeted.
Israeli officials urged the moderate Mahmoud Abbas, elected on Sunday to head the Palestinian Authority, to take actions to halt militant attacks.
Minister of Transport Meir Sheetrit said Abbas, who has called for an end to armed violence, “cannot limit himself to condemning terrorism and must take decisive steps”.
Palestinian Authority spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeina did not explicitly condemn Thursday’s attack, saying unrest will be brought to halt only if both Israel and the Palestinians respect a truce.
The attack was claimed in a joint phone call by three groups, including the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, which is linked to Abbas’s own mainstream Fatah movement.
The two other groups claiming the attack were the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades of the Hamas Islamist group and the armed wing of the Popular Resistance Committees. — Sapa-AFP
Related articles
Deadly Gaza bombing