Barak allows transfer of food, humanitarian supplies to Gaza
JPost.com staff and AP , THE JERUSALEM POST Dec. 23, 2008
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Despite continued firing of Kassam rockets at the Negev by Palestinian
terrorists on Tuesday, Defense Minister Ehud Barak will allow a shipment of
food and humanitarian supplies to residents of the Gaza Strip on Wednesday.

Barak made the decision in response to calls from the international
community regarding the humanitarian situation in the Strip.

Basic food, medicine, petrol and cooking gas will be transferred to Gaza
through the Karni and Kerem Shalom crossings.

Five Egyptian trucks containing humanitarian supplies will also be allowed
passage into the Strip, an initiative of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's
wife, Suzanne Mubarak.

Throughout Tuesday, terrorists in Gaza fired six Kassam rockets at the
western Negev, after a day-long informal cease-fire.

Two of the rockets hit an open area in the Eshkol region and one landed near
Sderot. The other three rockets landed in the Sha'ar Hanegev region, one
near an educational facility. No one was wounded and no damage was reported
in the attacks.

On Tuesday night, IDF troops killed three Palestinian terrorists near Netiv
Ha'asara, just north of Gaza.

The terrorists were apprehended during an attempt to plant an explosive
device near the Gaza perimeter fence, and were shot and killed in the
exchange of fire that followed.

A grenade was thrown at IDF troops by the terrorists, but no soldiers were
wounded.

On Monday, two Hamas officials said the group had agreed to a 24-hour
cease-fire. It came after a warning from Egypt that Israel would begin
assassinating Hamas leaders if the rocket attacks continued.

The brief cease-fire was also linked to a transfer of aid from Egypt,
scheduled to arrive in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday.

A Hamas spokesman announced Tuesday that the rocket fire on the South would
resume as soon as the aid arrived in Gaza via the Kerem Shalom crossing,
Israel Radio reported.

Egypt's Foreign Ministry had initially denied the reports that it had asked
Hamas to temporarily hold its fire as a condition for transferring the aid.
Islamic Jihad also denied that a 24-hour truce was in place.

Earlier Tuesday, senior Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar was quoted as saying that
his group was willing to extend the temporary cease-fire if Israel abides by
the terms agreed upon in June.

Speaking to the Egyptian newspaper Al-Aharam, Zahar said Hamas would hold a
"situation assessment" to discuss the 24-hour truce. "If [we see] that the
cease-fire has had good results, it's likely that the truce will continue,"
he said.

On Monday afternoon, Gaza gunmen fired at IDF soldiers patrolling the
security fence near the Sufa crossing, seemingly in violation of the
informal truce. The troops returned fire. No one was wounded and no damage
was reported.

In addition, soldiers arrested two Palestinians near Kissufim who had
crossed the Gaza fence. They were transferred for interrogation.

Also Monday afternoon, three Kassam rockets fired by Gaza terrorists hit
southern Israel. One struck the Eshkol region, while two hit the Sha'ar
Hanegev area. No one was wounded and no damage was reported.

Khaled Abu Toameh contributed to this report.