Israel allows construction material shipment to Gaza

Israel allowed the first shipment of construction raw material to the Gaza Strip to start a reconstruction process that will be funded by international donors, a Palestinian official said Tuesday.

Raed Fattouh, the Palestinian liaison officer at Kerem Shalom crossing point between Israel and southeast Gaza Strip, told Xinhua that Israel allowed Tuesday 75 trucks carrying cement, gravel and iron for construction.

"Israel allowed through the commercial crossing today 15 trucks of cement, 10 trucks carrying iron for construction and 50 trucks carrying gravel to the Palestinian private sector in coordination with the United Nations," he said.

However, Fattouh said that Israel has not notified the Palestinian side that the shipment of construction material would be on daily basis to speed up the process of reconstruction.

Meanwhile, Hussein al-Sheikh, liaison chief in the Palestinian National Authority, also confirmed the beginning of the reconstruction process in an e-mailed press statement.

"Cement, gravel and iron will be allowed in to Gaza through Kerem Shalom in coordination with the UN. The cement will be delivered to the private sector in accordance to the agreed upon mechanism," he said in the statement.