Israeli authorities reopen people, goods crossings to besieged Gaza

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM — Israeli occupation authorities announced reopening both border crossings to and from the besieged Gaza on Sunday, after days of unrest and multiple Israeli air strikes on alleged Hamas targets.

The move followed efforts to prevent an escalation in violence that has raised fears of a new onslaught against the Palestinians in the Strip and the Islamist resistance group Hamas.

"The decision comes after a decrease in the violent events in Gaza over the weekend and efforts Hamas made to restrain" demonstrators, Israeli official Avigdor Lieberman's office said in a statement.

The Israelis hit a little less than two dozen targets in Gaza, in a retaliatory move to rockets allegedly launched by the Palestinians in Gaza.

Hamas disavowed the launches and said it was investigating the incident, as alarm over a potential broader conflict rose.

But Israeli rejected their denial, saying they were the only groups armed with rockets of that range.

Israeli authorities, in any case, hold Hamas responsible, as Gaza's de facto rulers, for all fire from the territory regardless of who launches it.

Near daily protests along the Gaza border since March 30 against Israel's crippling 11-year blockade of the impoverished enclave have sparked repeated clashes.

More than 200 Palestinians have been killed in the violence.

On Friday, thousands again gathered for protests in northern Gaza, but demonstrators largely remained at least 100 metres from the border.

An Israeli official spokesman told AFP that while most of the protesters stayed back from the fence, some came close and threw explosive devices and hand grenades at troops, while burning tyres.

At least 130 Palestinians were injured by live fire in clashes with Israeli soldiers, the Palestinian health ministry in Gaza said.

Hamas officials were seen discouraging protesters from nearing the fence.

Israelis on October 12 suspended the delivery of fuel for the Palestinian territory's power plant that had been trucked daily into Gaza under a deal brokered by the United Nations.

A decision on renewed fuel deliveries "has been put off as for the time being and will be examined in a number of days based on events", Lieberman's office said on Sunday.

An Egyptian security delegation that visited Gaza on Thursday had encouraged Hamas leader Ismail Haniya to calm the protests, according to an Egyptian official.

On Friday, UN envoy Nickolay Mladenov also urged all sides "to exercise restraint, to proceed in a peaceful manner, and to avoid escalation".

Hamas has fought three wars with Israel since 2008 and fears of a fourth have spurred efforts by Egypt and the United Nations for a wider deal that would see Israel ease its blockade in exchange for a long-term truce with the Islamists.