Israel to suspend exporting goods from Gaza until further notice

Gaza, Sep 5 (IANS) Starting from Tuesday and until further notice, Israeli authorities will suspend exporting goods from the Gaza Strip, Palestinian sources said.

"Israel informed the coordinating commission run by the Palestinian Authority that all goods will be prevented from exporting through the Kerem Shalom border crossing, the sole commercial crossing in the territory," the sources told Xinhua news agency.

The decision came after Israel thwarted an attempt to smuggle explosive materials at the crossing, according to the sources.

In a statement to Xinhua, Ghassan Alyan, coordinator of Israeli government activities in the Palestinian territories, said earlier on Monday, an attempt to smuggle explosive materials, hidden in a truck carrying clothes from Gaza, was thwarted at the crossing.

"The Israeli authorities decided to stop shipping goods from Gaza to Israel and the West Bank after the smuggling attempt," he explained.

Despite the suspension's potential negative impacts on the economic situation in the strip, Israel will not allow the "terrorists to exploit the civil and humanitarian field in Gaza", Alyan added.

The Economic Ministry run by the Hamas militant group condemned the decision in a press statement, saying "it is violating the human rights in Gaza".

The Ministry pointed out that the decision "will make the economic situation in the strip more difficult and create more obstacles to economic activities, especially in the industrial and agricultural sectors".

It called on the international community to pressure Israel to revoke its decision and reopen the crossing for exports.

Israel has imposed a tight blockade on the Gaza Strip, home to more than two million people, since the Hamas seized control of the enclave in 2007.

Since then, the economic situation in the strip has deteriorated, leaving its residents struggling in dire living conditions.