Israel seals off Gaza crossings after rockets firing

GAZA - Israel on Monday shut down the two main crossing points between the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip and Israel following an earlier rockets attack into its southern territories, officials said.

Raed Fatouh, the Palestinian liaison officer to coordinate goods entrance into Gaza, said in a press statement that the Israeli side informed him of shutting down Erez and Kerem Shalom crossing points.

"According to the Israeli side, shutting down the two crossing points was made in response to the earlier rockets fired into Israel," said Fatouh.

Kerem Shalom crossing point is the sole commercial terminal between Israel and southern Gaza Strip and Erez crossing point was used for individuals travel.

On Sunday night, Israeli radio reported that unknown militants from Gaza fired three rockets into southern Israel, adding that the rockets landed on unpopulated areas without causing any damages and casualties.

No one claimed responsibility for the attack, however, radical Salafi Islamic groups, linked to the global Jihad, had claimed responsibility for launching several rockets into Israel in the last couple of weeks.

Egypt had in last November brokered a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Gaza militants led by Hamas movement, following eight-day large-scale aerial war on Gaza, which left 145 Palestinians and six Israelis killed.

Israel, basically, has been imposing a tight ground and sea blockade on the Gaza Strip and considered the enclave a hostile entity right after Hamas militias violently seized control of the territory in June 2007.