Israeli Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz succumbed to the pressure from residents of the Eshkol region surrounding Gaza. Katz decided that starting May 2 truck traffic will be prohibited in the mornings and afternoons on Route 232, the only available road to transport food and other merchandise into the Gaza Strip. This decision is expected to impact the activity of the Kerem Shalom crossing, the only lifeline for Gaza since Egypt sealed most of the smuggling tunnels on its border with Gaza.

According to a source in the Civil Administration, about 1,000 trucks bearing supplies travel on Route 232 every day on their way to the Kerem Shalom crossing, where the annual trade amounts to close to 5 billion shekels ($1.3 billion).

Route 232, which is 80 kilometers (50 miles) long, was paved in 1951 to connect the settlements of the western Negev to the center of the country. For most of its existence, Route 232 was empty at any time of day. After Hamas’ takeover of Gaza, for security reasons, Israel expanded the Kerem Shalom checkpoint for commercial traffic, but was not wise enough to develop suitable infrastructure for the enormous flow of trucks that has overwhelmed the old and narrow road.

In recent years, Route 232 has become a nightmare for the Israeli localities surrounding Gaza. There are traffic accidents on it almost every day, some of them fatal.