A Palestinian man stands next to a truck carrying clothes for export, at Kerem Shalom crossing in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, June 21, 2021. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa

i24 News – Israel’s government decided on new relief to the Gaza Strip late Wednesday, according to the IDF, including goods and trade with the West Bank.

Another 1,000 merchants will be allowed to cross the Erez border crossing, with permits only distributed to those vaccinated or previously recovered from the coronavirus. The relief includes new cars imported into Gaza, gold trade with the West Bank, and other goods for internal civilian projects.

The Israeli military said the easing of restrictions is “conditional on the continued maintenance of security stability over time. The extension of the measures will be examined in accordance with the assessment of the situation.”

This comes as the Interior Ministry in Hamas-controlled Gaza announced that the Rafah border crossing will open to incoming Gazans and goods.

Egypt earlier this week closed the border, citing security concerns amid rising tensions between Israel and Gaza.

The IDF announced a deployment of additional troops to reinforce the border with Gaza Wednesday, with scheduled protests along the security perimeter descending into rioting.