Israel Evacuates Karni Crossing to Improve Defenses in South

Israel announced on Sunday the evacuation of the shuttered Karni crossing near the Gaza Strip to complete a security fence along the Gaza border.

The cargo terminal was closed by Israel when the terrorist group Hamas took over the Strip in 2007 and was permanently shut at the end of March 2011 after several attacks occurred there.

Lasting several weeks according to the IDF), the operation will see a beam crossing dismantled and a ground barrier replacing it. The work will be overseen by the borders and seam zones directorate within the Defense Ministry in collaboration with the Gaza division.

“This is an operation designed to improve defense in this area, which takes place as part of the improvement of defense in the entire border area with the Gaza Strip,” the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said in a statement.

Since Karni was closed, all goods have passed through the Kerem Shalom crossing and workers have passed through the Erez crossing.

The Karni crossing opened in 1994 after the signing of the Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization to allow for Palestinians in Gaza to import and export goods.

It was the scene of mass demonstrations in 2018 and 2019 that at times turned violent.