Israel closed its goods crossing with the Gaza Strip on Tuesday after militants in the Hamas-run territory fired rockets into the Mediterranean and launched incendiary balloons over the border.
The Kerem Shalom crossing will be closed until further notice to all traffic except humanitarian equipment and fuel, said the Defence Ministry unit that oversees the crossings.
"In the south, Hamas is continuing to enable explosive balloon attacks to be launched into the state of Israel," Defence Minister Benny Gantz said on Tuesday morning.
"We are not prepared to accept that and have closed the Kerem Shalom border crossing as a result."
Israeli fire services in the south of the country reported 60 fires caused by balloons on Tuesday, but there were no casualties.
"There will be a very heavy price for the balloon terrorism. We shall not tolerate it," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a visit to an air force base on Tuesday.
Hamas denounced the Kerem Shalom closure as an "aggressive" move that showed Israel's "insistence on laying siege" to Gaza.
It said it could cause further worsening of the humanitarian situation in the coastal strip.
The Palestinian territory has been under an Israeli blockade since 2007.
Explosives tied to balloons and kites were first used as a weapon in Gaza during intense protests in 2018, when they drifted across the border each day, causing thousands of fires in Israeli farms and communities.
Recent balloon attacks into Israel prompted retaliatory strikes against Hamas.
Hamas fired rockets into the sea on Monday after repeated exchanges of fire with Israel in recent days, Palestinian security sources said.
The rockets were a "message" to Israel that armed groups in Gaza would not "remain silent" in the face of an Israeli blockade and aggression, a source close to Hamas said.
As the Kerem Shalom crossing closed, the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt opened on Tuesday for the first time since April.
It was closed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Traffic in both directions was to be allowed for three days, letting Gazans leave the crowded, poverty-stricken strip for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
The World Bank says about 53 per cent of Gaza's population lived below the poverty line before the coronavirus crisis.
That number could rise above 60 per cent because of the economic fallout from the pandemic, it has said.
Hamas and Israel have fought three wars since 2008.
Despite a truce last year backed by the UN, Egypt and Qatar, the two sides clash sporadically with rockets, mortar fire or the balloons.
Palestinian analysts say fire from Gaza often aims to pressure Israel to allow the transfer of Qatari financial aid to Hamas.
Yuki Means Happiness
Alison Jean Lester
John Murray
The specs: 2019 Infiniti QX50
Price, base: Dh138,000 (estimate)
Engine: 2.0L, turbocharged, in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
Power: 268hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 380Nm @ 4,400rpm
Fuel economy: 6.7L / 100km (estimate)
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
- Life in the royal residences with Sheikha Osha bint Nahayan
- Sheikha Mahra and Sheikha Sabha recall their time spent in Al Hosn
- A place where problems were solved
- How the fort's rise tracked Abu Dhabi's development
- Meet Frauke Heard-Bey - the fort's historian for 30 years
- In Pictures: Story of a fort
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Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
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Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
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Schedule:
Pakistan v Sri Lanka:
28 Sep-2 Oct, 1st Test, Abu Dhabi
6-10 Oct, 2nd Test (day-night), Dubai
13 Oct, 1st ODI, Dubai
16 Oct, 2nd ODI, Abu Dhabi
18 Oct, 3rd ODI, Abu Dhabi
20 Oct, 4th ODI, Sharjah
23 Oct, 5th ODI, Sharjah
26 Oct, 1st T20I, Abu Dhabi
27 Oct, 2nd T20I, Abu Dhabi
29 Oct, 3rd T20I, Lahore
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Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead
Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
Matthew Levitt: Iran retains its ability to launch terror attacks
Hussein Ibish: Trump's order on solid constitutional ground
Simon Waldman: Cautious Israel keeping a low profile
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Bio
Born in Dubai in 1994
Her father is a retired Emirati police officer and her mother is originally from Kuwait
She Graduated from the American University of Sharjah in 2015 and is currently working on her Masters in Communication from the University of Sharjah.
Her favourite film is Pacific Rim, directed by Guillermo del Toro
Brief scores:
Day 1
Toss: India, chose to bat
India (1st innings): 215-2 (89 ov)
Agarwal 76, Pujara 68 not out; Cummins 2-40
