Israel allows 44 types of commodities to enter into Gaza Strip

The Israeli authorities allowed 44 commodities to enter into the besieged coastal enclave without the need for prior coordination or submission of a special request, a Palestinian official committee said on Wednesday.

The new Israeli decision will start on Thursday, according to the Presidential Committee for Coordinating the Entry of Goods into the Strip of the Palestinian Authority.

"The local companies and factories can enter the goods that have been approved daily into the Strip through the Kerem Shalom crossing, the only commercial crossing with Gaza based on the applicable system," the committee said in a statement sent to The New Arab.

"Zinsco panels, solar cells, electric elevator doors, iron wires, copper, iron doors, aluminium panels, car oils and cutting machines are among the commodities intended to enter the coastal enclave," the statement noted. 

So far, there is no official Israeli comment on the matter.

Since 2007, Israel has imposed its blockade on the coastal enclave following the Islamic Hamas movement seized the territory after rounds of fights with the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority forces in 2006.

As a result, the Israeli authorities have prohibited the entry of dozens of items of goods under the pretext of dual use.

The sudden Israeli decision coincided with the arrival of the head of the Qatari Committee for the Reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, Ambassador Mohammed Al-Emadi, to the Gaza Strip last night in an attempt to stabilise the state of calm between the Palestinian factions and Israel.

Palestinian security sources told TNA that Al-Emadi entered Gaza through the Israeli-controlled checkpoint, in the northern Gaza Strip, and is scheduled to meet officials of Hamas and others in civil and international organisations.