The Kerem Shalom Crossing with Gaza was shut down on Sunday following the discovery – and destruction – by the IDF of a mile-long terror tunnel that stretched from Gaza into both Egypt and Israel.
The IDF warned the closure would last “indefinitely, until further notice” — but by Monday, journalists were notified the crossing would resume operations bright and early Tuesday as usual.
The crossing is the main channel for the transportation of goods into Gaza, with some 600 laden trucks passing through Kerem Shalom daily.
<blockquote class=”twitter-video” data-lang=”en”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>We provide humanitarian aid. Hamas undermines it <a href=”https://t.co/xn5akm7vlX”>pic.twitter.com/xn5akm7vlX</a></p>— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) <a href=”https://twitter.com/IDFSpokesperson/status/952860624689778689?ref_src="https://www.jewishpress.com/wp-content/uploads/Jewish-Press-Small-Logo-Rectangle.jpg?v=1.0.5" style="display: none;"twsrc%5Etfw”>January 15, 2018</a></blockquote>
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On Sunday General Operational Commander of the Southern Command, Maj. Gen. Eyal Zamir visited the site where the terror tunnel was exposed in Kerem Shalom. Zamir met with the head of the Eshkol Regional Council, Gadi Yarkoni and updated him about the destruction of the tunnel.
Since 2014, more than 10 million tons of construction supplies and building materials have entered Gaza via the crossing.
In 2017 alone, 14,354 tons of textiles, 12,395 tons of agricultural equipment, 7,044 tons of medical equipment, 568,764 tons of food, 3,383,440 tons of construction materials and 10,373 tons of electrical equipment and supplies were transferred to Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing.
But the terror tunnel discovered and destroyed by the IDF was found beneath that same crossing, prompting its closure.
“The cost of one terror tunnel is equal to 19 clinics, six schools, and 86 housing units,” the IDF said. We provide humanitarian aid; Hamas undermines it.”