Israel closes Gaza border after ‘rocket’ strikes

Israel announced the closure of its Gaza border crossings on Thursday in response to what it says has been daily rocket fire from the enclave over the past week since U.S. President Donald Trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

The crossings being closed, Kerem Shalom and Erez, are the only two on the Israeli border left with Gaza.

Kerem Shalom is the crossing point where goods and supplies are brought into Gaza. Erez is the point where people cross. Shutting the two points effectively cuts off Gaza from the rest of the world by land, save for its small Egyptian border, which is generally closed. Gaza is also under a naval blockade by the Israeli navy.

The situation in the region has become increasingly heated since Mr. Trump announced last week the United States recognises Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and will eventually move its embassy to the holy city.

In Instanbul on Wednesday, a summit of more than 50 Muslim countries condemned Mr. Trump’s move and called on the world to recognise East Jerusalem, captured by Israel along with the West Bank in a 1967 war, as the capital of Palestine.

Other than Israel, the international community has universally condemned the U.S. move.

Leading a chorus of contempt at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation summit, Turkey’s President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, called Israel a “terror state,” and said Mr. Trump’s move was legitimising Israel’s “terror acts.”