The Israeli army tightened a blockade on the Gaza Strip this morning, a day after a woman suicide bomber killed herself and four Israelis at a border crossing.
A military spokesman said Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz had decided on "a general closure on the Gaza Strip," meaning no labourers would be able to enter Israel for work.
Merchants will also be prevented from taking produce into Israel, although some movement of merchandise is expected to be permitted, a military source said.
The military statement did not say for how long the measure would be in force, but officials had said shortly after Wednesday's attack at the Erez crossing that the border zone would be shut for at least several days.
Most Palestinians are normally denied entry into Israel from Gaza, but the latest measure prevents the several thousand who do have permits from crossing over for jobs or business.
The militant Islamic group Hamas and the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades claimed joint responsibility for yesterday's suicide bombing, carried out by a mother of two from Gaza City. Both said the attack was to avenge Israel's killing of Palestinians. They also vowed to escalate attacks against Israel.
Elsewhere in the occupied territories, Israeli soldiers in jeeps and armored vehicles raided the West Bank town of Tulkarm early Thursday and arrested several Palestinians, witnesses and a military source said.
AP