GAZA, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Israeli authorities decided on Sunday to freeze measures it took to facilitate access of goods and business people into Gaza Strip, according to identical Palestinian and Israeli sources.
The Palestinian liaison committee for goods shipment informed the local private sector that Israel has decided to freeze the import of cement and reduce the number permits for business people.
Meanwhile, Kamil Abu Rukon, coordinator of Israeli government's activities in the occupied territories, said the Israeli authorities have decided to freeze the facilitations to the economic sector and movement in crossings in response to "destabilizing the security" such as the violence on the borderline area and rocket launching towards Israeli territory.
The army will continue to protect the Israeli citizens and sovereignty, he added.
A Palestinian source told Xinhua that Israeli authorities have informed the Palestinian liaison office of suspending permits of some 500 Palestinian businessmen from Gaza because of the tensions.
The source, said on condition of anonymity, that the Israeli side has withdrawn the commercial permits of dozens of business people on the Erez crossing on Sunday morning.
Last week, Israeli authorities have allowed the entry of quantities of cement without the utilizing of the UN supervision mechanism for the first time since 2014, according to the Israeli public radio.
The Israeli radio said that the facilitations included the export of strawberries from Gaza Strip to Israel for the first time since 2007, and the entry of thousands of tires for vehicles for the first time since March 2018.
The Israeli army said that its war jets have struck several locations that belong to Islamic Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip.
