GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — For the first time in six years, Israel has allowed building materials to enter the besieged Gaza Strip as a result of international pressure. The decision comes amid Gaza’s economic crisis following several months of tight measures by the Egyptian army to control the smuggling of goods through the border tunnels.
On Sept. 22, the first truckloads of construction materials — including cement, reinforced steel and gravel — entered the Gaza Strip through the Kerem Shalom border crossing — the only commercial crossing between the Strip and Israel. The entry of building materials was limited to international institutions carrying out construction projects in the Gaza Strip, in the hope of addressing the dire economic situation.
According to Raed Fattouh, chairman of the coordination committee for the entry goods into the Gaza Strip, Israel agreed to allow a limited range of goods into the territory, including 20 truckloads of cement weighing 800 tons, 10 truckloads of reinforced steel weighing 400 tons and 40 truckloads of gravel weighing 1,600 tons, as a first step.
“This is the first stage of the process, in addition to the quantities of construction materials brought into the Gaza Strip for projects implemented by private contractors for Arab or international organizations. These quantities are approved by the Israeli side. Israel has also approved the supply of building materials for the children's hospital project,” Fattouh said to Al-Monitor.
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