Kerem Shalom border crossing

Coordinates: 31°13′15″N 34°16′14″E / 31.22083°N 34.27056°E / 31.22083; 34.27056
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Kerem Shalom crossing

מעבר כרם שלום
معبر كرم أبو سالم
Coordinates31°13′15″N 34°16′14″E / 31.22083°N 34.27056°E / 31.22083; 34.27056
CarriesGoods, supplies
CrossesGaza–Israel barrier
LocaleIsrael
Gaza Strip
Statistics
Daily traffic250 trucks/day (2012)[1]
Location
Map
Cargo entering Gaza at Kerem Shalom crossing

Kerem Shalom border crossing (

the Gaza Strip and Egypt. It is used by trucks carrying goods from Israel
or Egypt to the Gaza Strip.

Operation

Until 2007, European monitors from the

Palestinian Authority
, and the Government of Israel.

In the early 2010s, NIS 75 million was invested in upgrading and expanding the crossing, which is capable of handling 450 trucks a day.[1]

The Palestinian side of the crossing is operated by two families who were granted a franchise by the Palestinian Authority and authorized by Hamas. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry in Ramallah coordinates activity with Israel. The two sides are 400 meters apart, separated by a drop-off zone for unloading goods.[1]

The

dual-use goods (products that have civilian applications but may be diverted for military use),[6] although many of these banned items are smuggled through tunnels.[7]

The Israeli side of the crossing was at one point managed by the Israel Airports Authority,[8] but is now managed by the Crossings Administration within the Ministry of Defense.[9]

History and incidents

2006 Gilad Shalit incident

On 25 June 2006,

Operation Summer Rains on 28 June.[10] Shalit was freed in a prisoner exchange on 18 October 2011.[11]

2008 Hamas attack

On 19 April 2008, Palestinian suicide bombers detonated their explosives-laden vehicles at the crossing. According to the IDF, two jeeps and an APC (

armored personnel carrier) were used and two vehicles were detonated, killing three bombers and wounding 13 Israeli soldiers. The soldiers were protected from serious injury by fortifications at the crossing. A second APC close to the border north of Kerem Shalom was blown up by Israeli fire soon after the bombing. Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack. According to Abu Obeidah, spokesman for Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas's military wing, four booby-trapped vehicles were used, three of which exploded and one withdrew. He described it as "a gift for the people under siege" and "a purely military operation".[12]

2012 attack; easing of restrictions

Danny Danon and Nikki Haley at the Kerem Shalom border crossing in June 2017

On 5 August 2012, the crossing was

attacked by a group of masked gunmen who had killed 16 police officers and hijacked armored jeeps from an Egyptian border checkpoint. One jeep, apparently booby-trapped, rammed the checkpoint and exploded; the other was destroyed by the Israeli Air Force.[13]

In December 2012, Israel eased its restrictions on the import of building materials, allowing the transfer of 20 truckloads of aggregates and 34 truckloads of gravel from Egypt. The volume is expected to increase to 100 trucks a day.[14]

2018: Hamas tunnel into Israel

On 14 January 2018,

Israeli Defense Force said the tunnel belonged to Hamas. The tunnel started in the Rafiah area 900 meters (2,953 feet) into Gaza and extended 180 meters (591 feet) into Israel. It passed under the gas pipeline between Egypt and Gaza."[15]

2018 arson attacks

In May 2018, Palestinian rioters set parts of the Kerem Shalom crossing ablaze three times, causing significant damage to infrastructure, including fuel pipelines and conveyor belts.[16] Israeli authorities shut the crossing for a few days to assess damage before reopening it.[16] On July 9, 2018, Israel closed the Kerem Shalom crossing for all deliveries (except humanitarian deliveries), in retaliation for attacks against Israel using incendiary kites and balloons. The border crossing was reopened in mid-August 2018, after a few weeks of calm.[17]

2019 rocket attacks, closure

In March 2019, Israeli authorities closed the Kerem Shalom and Erez crossings for a week in response to renewed Palestinian rocket attacks, launched from Gaza, against Israel.[18] Both border crossings were reopened a week later, following Egyptian mediation.[18]

2023 Islamic Jihad attack

In May 2023,

Operation Shield and Arrow in response, but the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) announced, a few days later, a gradual reopening of both crossings.[19] In early September 2023, Israeli officials halted commercial exports from Gaza after inspectors discovered several kilograms of "high-quality explosives" concealed in an apparel shipment.[20][21] Later that month, the Kerem Shalom crossing was reopened, allowing shipments of goods and fuel to resume. The Erez crossing remained closed at the time.[22]

2023 Hamas attack, war

Further information:
2023 Israel–Hamas war

In October 2023, Karem Shalom was one of several targets attacked by Hamas as part of

a coordinated multi-front assault on Israel, a surprise attack that caught Israel off-guard.[23] The crossing had been scheduled to be closed during that day's Simchat Torah holiday, other than for humanitarian and medical supplies.[24] The crossing was at first kept closed during the ensuing IDF operations.[25] On 22 October, the Israel Defense Forces apologised for accidentally firing and hitting an Egyptian post adjacent to the border area.[26][27] The crossing was reopened for UN aid trucks on 17 December 2023, in order to abide by an agreement made during the hostages-for-prisoners exchanges, with 100 trucks of humanitarian aid being allowed through daily to add to the 100 permitted through the Rafah Border Crossing.[28][29][30] X-ray scanners were donated by the Netherlands in December 2023, although aid trucks still undergo manual inspections.[31] Israeli protesters accusing Israel of helping its enemy and harming own troops, repeatedly blocked the Kerem Shalom crossing to prevent humanitarian aid from entering the Gaza Strip.[32][33]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Egypt's holy war against Sinai jihadists leaves many questions unanswered
  2. ^ Douglas Hamilton, Israel boosts Gaza freight flow as blockade eases, Reuters (June 21, 2010).
  3. ^ Khalid Amayreh (23 June 2006). "Hamas threatens to end Rafah deal". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
  4. ^ a b Hana Salah, Amid crackdown, tunnel smuggling is risky business in Gaza, Al Monitor (June 19, 2015).
  5. ^ Diaa Hadid and Wissam Nassar, As Egypt Floods Gaza Tunnels, Smugglers Fear an End to Their Trade, New York Times (October 8, 2015).
  6. ^ Karin Laub, Israel to allow most goods into Gaza, NBC News (July 5, 2010).
  7. ^ Gaza recovers three dead bodies from smuggling tunnels, Associated Press (September 3, 2021).
  8. ^ Israel approves 250 tons of aid to enter Gaza, Jerusalem Post (November 10, 2011).
  9. ^ Kerem Shalom, Ministry of Regional Cooperation, 05.10.2021.
  10. ^ "Airstrikes and artillery pound Gaza". CNN. 30 June 2006. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
  11. ^ "Gilad Shalit walks free after five years as a Hamas captive in exchange for 1.027 Palestinians". The Daily Mirror. 18 October 2011. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
  12. ^ "Palestinian Suicide Bombers Attack Gaza Crossing". The New York Times. 20 April 2008.
  13. ^ Yaakov Katz (6 August 2012). "IDF thwarts complex terror infiltration from Sinai". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
  14. New York Times
  15. ^ "IDF demolishes terror tunnel under Egypt-Gaza border crossing".
  16. ^ a b Judah Ari Gross/Associated Press, Israel to reopen Gaza crossing after rioters burn it for 3rd time (May 15, 2018).
  17. ^ Israel reopens Gaza cargo crossing after calm, BBC News (15 August 2018).
  18. ^ a b Gaza violence: Crossings reopen after negotiated 'calm', BBC News (31 March 2019).
  19. ^ a b Israel reopens Gaza crossings, shut since launch of Operation Shield and Arrow, Times of Israel (May 14, 2023).
  20. ^ Israel to end ban on exports from Gaza on Sunday, Palestinian officials say, Reuters (September 8, 2023).
  21. ^ Tzvi Joffre, Gaza border crossing restricted after explosives smuggling attempt, Jerusalem Post (September 4, 2023).
  22. ^ Staff, Kerem Shalom Gaza border crossing to reopen despite violent clashes, Jerusalem Post (September 23, 2023).
  23. ^ Sean Seddon and Daniele Palumbo, How Hamas staged lightning assault no one thought possible, (October 8, 2023).
  24. ^ "General closure in Judea and Samaria, Gaza crossings to close during Simchat Torah". www.israelnationalnews.com. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  25. ^ "Escalation in the Gaza Strip and Israel | Flash Update #2 - occupied Palestinian territory". ReliefWeb.int. 8 October 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  26. ^ "Israeli Tank 'Accidentally' Fires and Hits Egyptian Post in South Rafah: IDF". Egyptian Streets. 2023-10-22. Retrieved 2023-10-22.
  27. ^ "Israel accidentally hits Egyptian post at Gaza border: IDF". Global News. Retrieved 2023-10-22.
  28. ^ i24NEWS (2023-12-15). "Israel to use Kerem Shalom crossing to help ease aid congestion into Gaza". I24news. Retrieved 2023-12-15.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  29. ^ "על רקע לחץ אמריקני: ישראל שוקלת לפתוח את מעבר כרם שלום להכנסת סיוע לעזה - וואלה! חדשות". וואלה! (in Hebrew). 2023-12-12. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
  30. ^ "Kerem Shalom crossing also opens to aid & Israel approved the entry of aid". JPost staff, Reuters for The Jerusalem Post. 17 December 2023. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  31. ^ "Just how bad is it in Gaza?". The Economist. 10 January 2024. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  32. ^ "Protest barred from bid to block aid trucks at Gaza crossing". The Times of Israel. 21 December 2023.
  33. ^ "Over 100 aid trucks 'blocked' from entering Gaza by protesters". Al Jazeera. 6 February 2024.

External links

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