Israel on Friday eased trade and travel restrictions for Gaza in a sign that the threat of another IDF-Hamas war is subsiding.
All Gazan goods can now enter Israel for the first time since the end of the 11-day Gaza war known as Operation Guardian of the Walls, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) Major General Rassan Alian announced.
The list of items that can enter Gaza from Israel at Kerem's Shalom's commercial crossing also increased to include items used for transportation and communications.
Equipment and goods for Gaza's humanitarian infrastructure, such as for the water and sewage systems can also enter.
In addition, some 1,000 merchants and 350 senior Gaza business people can obtain permits to enter Israel through the Erez pedestrian crossing. All those seeking permits must be vaccinated against COVID-19 or have recovered from the virus.
The COGAT office said that these measures were taken "in light of the preservation of security stability in the area of the Gaza Strip." It added that "the civilian measures approved by the political echelon are conditional upon the continued preservation of the region's security stability."
Israel controls two of the three land crossing into Gaza. The third crossing, Rafa, is under Egyptian control.
Israel closed both its crossing during the Gaza war and has been under pressure to fully reopen them since the ceasefire.
The extent to which the crossings are open or closed is often a good indicator of whether or not a Gaza war is on the horizon.
Egyptian efforts to broker a permanent ceasefire that would prevent another outbreak of violence have yet to yield results.
Among the stumbling blocks are the issues of the resumption of Qatari cash donations to Gaza and the release of two Israelis held captive in Gaza, as well as the return of the bodies of two IDF soldiers presumed killed during the 2014 Gaza war.