Palestinians are seen crossing at the Erez crossing with Israel near Beit Hanun in the northern Gaza Strip on Aug. 27, 2018. (AFP photo)
JERUSALEM, Aug. 27 (Xinhua) -- Israel has reopened Erez crossing with the Gaza Strip on Monday, a week after closing it over violence along the border, said the Israeli defense minister.
Avigdor Lieberman said in a statement that the decision to reopen the only pedestrian crossing between Israel and the besieged Palestinian enclave was made "given the calm along the border."
Israel does not allow Gazans to enter its territory unless they were issued a special permit. According to Israeli authorities, some 1,000 Gazans pass through Erez each day, mainly for humanitarian reasons.
The reopening of the crossing comes amid talks held between Egypt and Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist movement that runs Gaza, in a bid to achieve a long-held truce between Hamas and Israel.
Israel shut the crossing on Aug. 19 in response to "violent incidents" in renewed protests along the fence, Lieberman said.
Molotov cocktails and explosives were hurled towards Israeli forces in the protests, according to Israeli army, who responded with tear gas and live fire, killing two people and injured 60 others.
The rallies have been held to protest the crippling blockade on Gaza since 2007.
Since March 30, Israeli forces have killed at least 166 Palestinians, including 123 protestors, while one Israeli soldier were killed by a Palestinian sniper.
