Following several days of "relative quiet" from the Gaza Strip, Israel said it was easing restrictions on the coastal territory.
The Defense Ministry's Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories said among the measures taken will be extending the fishing zone off the Gaza coast to 15 nautical miles and issuing 2,000 additional entry permits to Israel, a 40% increase.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
The increase raises the total number of permits to an unprecedented 7,000.
Gazans entering Israel on Wednesday morning expressed appreciation that Israel had allowed them in.
"Everyone wants to work [in Israel]; everyone wants quiet, and a good life," said Nahed Halees, who crossed at the Erez border crossing.
"Everyone tells me, 'I want to get in [to Israel] for work,' but I tell them that I can't get them a permit. More merchants should be allowed out of Gaza to work [in Israel]," he said.
Israel is providing relief to Gaza as part of an Egyptian-negotiated unofficial truce with Hamas.
Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.
