Jerusalem, 23 March (IANS). Israel Railway has announced that railway services will start again near Gaza border from Sunday morning.
News agency Xinhua said on Saturday that on Tuesday, Israel started a large number of deadly airstrikes in Gaza, after which train services between Ashkalon and Sadherot stations were suspended. Instead, alternative shuttle services were introduced between the two cities.
This part is of the railway line that connects Ashkalon to Bir Sheva in North Negev to the north of the Gaza Strip. This route also connects Sadherot and other areas of Western Negev with Central Israel.
Train services were stopped due to security reasons on 7 October 2023 after Israel-Hamas war broke out. These services started again after the fight stopped last month.
Earlier, the Israeli army on Thursday banned traffic from the main north to south route of Gaza. This ban was announced a day earlier, when the army had said to start a land campaign again in the Palestinian region.
Army spokesman Avichay Adrai said on the social media platform X, “In the last 24 hours, IDF soldiers have launched a target ground campaign in Central and Southern Gaza Strip to expand the security area between the northern and southern parts.”
“For your safety, the movement on the Salahedin Road between the north and south of the Gaza Strip is prohibited for your safety. Instead, the journey from North Gaza to the south is possible through the al-Rashid coastal road.”
An official of the Interior Ministry operated by Hamas of Gaza said that the Israeli army had closed Netajarim Junction on Salahdeedin Road in the south of Gaza city on Wednesday evening.
According to the official, the Israeli tanks were deployed at the junction where the road artery crosses Israel’s main supply route after the removal of US security forces on Wednesday morning.
Israel resumed attacks in Gaza on Tuesday, which effectively ended the ceasefire with Hamas, which began on 19 January.
After this, Israeli forces launched ground operations in southern, northern and central Gaza. In response, Hamas launched several rockets targeting the Israeli region, most of which have been destroyed by Israel.
-IANS
FM/AS
