Israeli troops enter northern GazaMarch 7, 2012 - 17:28 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Israeli troops entered northern Gaza on Wednesday, March 7, briefly sealing the Erez border crossing between the Palestinian territory and Israel, Hamas officials said. "Occupation forces moved into the northern Gaza Strip and began bulldozing work and closed the Erez crossing to travelers," the interior ministry of the Islamist movement Hamas which rules Gaza said in a statement. According to AFP, witnesses said that two Israeli bulldozers accompanied by three tanks had moved into the area and were leveling land near the border. Palestinian officials at the Erez crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip said it was closed for several hours on Wednesday morning, before reopening at around 10:30 am (0830 GMT). The Israeli military confirmed the incursion, saying only "the army entered the area to stop terrorist activities." Israeli troops regularly carry out brief incursions into the Gaza Strip, despite formally withdrawing from the territory in 2005. They usually enter the Palestinian territory to raze homes or trees near the border that they claim are used by militants trying to infiltrate Israel, fire rockets or plant explosives along the border area. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Get Started: An educational platform for young startuppers The Get Started program which operates in two phases is an important platform for young startuppers. Byblos Bank Armenia celebrates Students' Day with scholarship recipients YSU students who received scholarships from Byblos Bank Armenia gathered in a casual setting to meet with the Bank's CEO, Hayk Stepanyan. Azerbaijan extends Rune Vardanyan’s arrest by 5 months A court in Azerbaijan has extended the arrest of former Nagorno-Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan by five months. Armenia border residents dissatisfied with delimitation Residents Kirants are dissatisfied with the results of the delimitation of the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. |