by Maayana Miskin
(IsraelNN.com) As IAF strikes and terrorist rocket attacks continued Monday, Defense Minister Ehud Barak ordered the Kerem Shalom crossing remain open in order to allow the transfer of supplies to Gaza. Dozens of Egyptian trucks entered Gaza with basic food items and humanitarian aid.
The Erez crossing was also opened in order to allow ambulances donated by Turkey to enter Gaza. The ambulances carried medicine, medical equipment, food and thousands of units of blood. The supplies were donated by the United Nations' World Food Program, the UN's Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and Doctors Without Borders.
Defense officials said the crossings would be opened on Tuesday as well.
In addition to opening crossings to allow medical supplies to Gaza, Israel has brought dozens of Gaza residents to Israel for treatment. Egyptian officials said Monday that they had offered to treat those wounded in IAF strikes as well, but that Hamas had prevented the transfer of patients to Egyptian hospitals.
Hamas denied delaying patients' transfer, and said it was facing difficulty in moving the patients due to Israeli airstrikes. Relations between Hamas and Egypt have deteriorated lately, with Hamas failing to attend Egyptian-mediated meetings and Egyptian officials blaming Hamas for Israeli operations in Gaza.
Egyptian officials said Monday that doctors, ambulances and helicopters would be on standby at the Gaza border, waiting for patients to be transferred out.
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