During a donors’ conference at the United Nations in New York on Tuesday, Israel announced restrictions will ease on Gaza Strip and West Bank, as it negotiates a final peace deal with the Palestinians.
Israeli minister of Strategic Affairs Yuval Steinitz revealed that 5,000 new work permits were being issued for Palestinians to work in Israel.
Steinitz revealed that the Allenby Bridge, a border checkpoint near the West Bank town of Jericho which is the only point of access to Jordan for Arab residents and businesses in the West Bank, would soon be operating five days a week round-the-clock.
Steinitz
added that new imports of some building materials will be allowed into Gaza. Israel has already allowed 60 trucks to bring construction materials into Gaza for the first time since 2007.Steinitz revealed
that Israel has implemented the delivery of an extra 4 million cubic meters of water a year into the West Bank and was about to do the same with five million cubic meters into Gaza in the coming weeks.Following a meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, Mr Steinitz expressed Israel's interest in a "strong, viable and prosperous economy".
