Israel is to close crossings to Gaza Strip after the army said a rocket fired from by Palestinians struck the south of the country on Monday afternoon in violation of a calm, causing no casualties or damage.
"After the firing of a Qassam-type rocket toward Israeli territory, Defence Minister Ehud Barak has ordered the closure tomorrow (Tuesday) of the crossings between Israel and the Gaza Strip," the defence ministry said, according to AFP. The closures will affect Nahal Oz which is used to ferry in fuel and the Sufa crossing for food supplies to the Gaza Strip.
An Israeli army spokesman said the rocket hit an empty field outside the city of Sderot. In all 40 rockets and mortar rounds have been fired from Gaza Strip since the start of the Egyptian-mediated calm, the spokesman said.
Meanwhile, the bodies of three Palestinians have been recovered from a smuggling tunnel between Egypt and the Strip which collapsed at the weekend, while six people are missing, medics said Monday. The tunnel near the Rafah border crossing caved in on Saturday, burying the nine Palestinians, the medics said.
