Fruit growers claim compensation due to closure of Karni terminal

Karni terminal, the main gateway for trade between Israel and the Gaza strip, was,until last week, closed, by military order, for 60 days preventing fresh agricultural produce to be sent to Gaza.
 
The closure of the terminal during the 60 days period inflicted not only heavy financial damages to many Israeli growers but also cut off, almost entirely, the fresh produce sales to Gaza.
 
The opening up of the terminal last week followed by fresh complaints from growers that the road is not yet cleared and that there are still many obstacles to overcome.
 
Growers were looking forward to the opening of the terminal in order to collect some 24,000 fruit containers that were left on the Palestinian side before the closure.
 
The demand for such containers is relatively high due to a good season.
 
However, the fact that the authorities do not allow containers to be returned means that further heavy losses will be inflicted.
 
The fruit growers association advised growers that they are preparing the ground to assist growers who wish to proceed with legal actions and claim compensation from the government.