(Communicated by COGAT - Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories)
 
Over 70 trucks laden with food and other goods are currently waiting on the Israeli side of the Kerem Shalom crossing for their Palestinian counterparts.
 
The crossing is currently not operating, as the Palestinian contractor responsible for the Palestinian side decided not to open the crossing today.
 
His decision stems from attempts by Hamas to replace the current contractor with one of their choosing. Hamas has been actively trying to push the Palestinian Authority out and take charge of the management of Kerem Shalom so that they may collect revenue from goods that enter Gaza.
 
These actions by Hamas endanger the current security arrangements and threaten the operability of the crossing.
 
The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, Major General Eitan Dangot, spoke this morning with senior officials in the Palestinian Authority to keep them informed of the unfolding events and to emphasize that Israel cannot allow the operation of the crossing under such circumstances given the security risks.
 
Kerem Shalom Crossing is the primary commercial goods crossing into the Gaza Strip, and therefore serves a vital function for the civilian population in Gaza. It is located on the southern border between Israel and Gaza and an average of 300 trucks carrying food and other essentials transfer there every day. The crossing has been the site of numerous terror attacks in the past that have forced the crossing to close temporarily, today's events however are the first time that Hamas has closed Kerem Shalom in this manner.

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On Tuesday (5 March 2013) 328 truckloads containing a variety of goods and 173 tons of gas were delivered into the Gaza Strip through Kerem Shalom Crossing under the coordination of the Coordination and Liaison Administration in Gaza.