Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Deputy Defense Minister Vilnai following consultations on Sunday decided to close Gaza crossings following a Kassam rocket attack earlier in the day. The decision is for a one-day closure, at which time the situation will be reassessed.

Officials report that a precondition to the continued increase in goods traveling into Gaza is a total cessation of rocket attacks and mortar rockets.

Defense Ministry officials continue reporting that Hamas is genuinely interested in maintaining the ceasefire, explaining the terror organization has nothing to gain by ending it at present. In actuality, the assessment is in line with the ISA (Israel Security Agency – Shin Bet) and other intelligence experts, reporting Hamas is working tenaciously to rebuild and restock itself during the ceasefire, using the hiatus of IDF counter-terror operations in Gaza to prepare for the next war with Israel. Intelligence experts assessing Hamas today report the terror organization has built itself to the level of a standing army, a formidable enemy.

Defense Ministry officials point out that following the Saturday rocket attack, there was no Israeli reaction but after Monday’s attack, the decision was made to close commercial crossings for a day.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)