Israel reopens Gaza crossing points after six-day closure

GAZA, Mar 31 (Xinhua): Israel on Sunday reopened the border crossing points with the Gaza Strip after six days of their closure amid growing tensions with Hamas and other factions in the enclave.

The commercial crossing of Kerem Shalom in the southern Gaza Strip was reopened for goods, said Raed Fattouh, a Palestinian official in charge of coordinating the shipment of goods into the Gaza Strip through the border crossing points.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority's liaison office at Erez crossing point in the northern Gaza Strip also announced that the crossing was reopened for Palestinians and foreign aid workers to travel through.

Israel announced the closure of the crossing points with the Gaza Strip following a growing wave of tension which began with a rocket attack from Gaza on northern Tel Aviv in central Israel which injured seven Israelis.

A day earlier, Gaza Health Ministry officials said four Palestinian young men were shot dead and more than 300 injured during protests and clashes in the eastern Gaza Strip, close to the border with Israel.

The clashes broke out on Saturday as the Palestinians in the coastal enclave marked the first year of the Great March of Return rally and also 43 years of the Palestinian "Land Day."

Local media in Gaza reported that in retaliation for the death of four Palestinians in the clashes with Israeli soldiers, Gaza militants fired two rockets into Israel. No injuries or damage were reported.

In response, Israeli warplanes bombarded several military facilities belonging to Hamas in the eastern and northern Gaza Strip, also with no injuries reported, according to security sources in Gaza.

Earlier in the day, hundreds of Palestinian mourners buried the four Palestinians shot dead by Israeli soldiers, while chanting slogans calling for revenge.