Israel shuts Gaza crossing following violence

IANS  |  Jerusalem 

said on Sunday it has closed its crossing with the Strip following violence along the fence during the weekend.

said in a statement he decided to temporarily shut down the Erez Crossing, except for humanitarian cases, reports

On Friday, Palestinians renewed the protest near the border between and

Molotov cocktails and explosives were hurled towards Israeli forces during the rally.

The responded with tear gas and live fire, killing two people and injuring 60 others.

The violence occurred amidst stalled Egyptian-brokered ceasefire between and the Hamas, the Palestinian organization that runs the besieged enclave.

In recent weeks, the escalation between Israel and have reached almost a full-fledged war. It came after months-long protests against the 11-year long blockade that Israel and have imposed on

Since March 30, Israeli forces have killed at least 166 Palestinians, including 123 protesters.

--IANS

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First Published: Sun, August 19 2018. 14:44 IST