For the sixth day in a row crossings into the Gaza Strip were closed by Israeli forces maintaining a blockade on the coastal enclave, who told Palestinian liaison officers that the closure was for "security reasons."
Closures began on Tuesday, two days ahead of spike in border violence which saw 18 killed by Israeli strikes in Gaza -- including at least six civilians -- and two injured in Israel. The closure continues despite an announced ceasefire deal that went into place before midnight on Sunday.
Perhaps the continued closure is related to this small story out of the Islamic Jihad Saraya website:
At 6 o'clock Sunday morning 4/10/2011, the artillery unit of the Al-Quds Brigades shot 4 80 mm mortar shells toward the site "Karm Abu Salem," [Kerem Shalom] located east of the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, where shells hit their targets precisely, leading to the interruption of electricity to most parts of the site and spreading a state of confusion the soldiers present inside.Kerem Shalom is one of the major goods crossings into Gaza, and Islamic Jihad was bragging about targeting it.