IDF closes roads, train line near Gaza amid fears of fresh fighting
Monday, following a large exchange of fire between Israel and terror groups in the Strip, amid concerns of renewed violence.
The closures followed a day of intense violence between the groups, including dozens of rockets fired at the south and Israeli retaliatory strikes against the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group’s bases in both Gaza and inside Syria.
International efforts to negotiate a firm ceasefire failed, leading to fears of fresh violence, Israel’s Channel 13 news said, citing unspecified Palestinian media reports.
The IDF announced early Monday that it was restricting access to several roadways around the northern part of the Strip, including portions of the Route 4, Route 34 and Route 232 highways. Several tourist sites in the area were also shuttered, including Zikim beach just north of the border.
Israel Railways said in a statement that trains would not operate between Ashkelon and Beersheba and that the stations in Sderot, Netivot and Ofakim — in the area where the tracks sometimes pass just a few hundred meters from the Gaza border — would be closed.
Read More: Times of Israel
