The Erez crossing point between Israel and Gaza, run by the Islamist movement Hamas, was opened on Wednesday to allow the transfer of vehicles for sale for the first time in nine years.
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Palestinian authorities did not immediately comment, but witnesses in the Gaza Strip reported Israeli spotter aircraft overhead.
An association of Palestinian vehicle owners in Gaza said 110 vehicles arrived on their side through Erez.
“We expect in the next phase other goods will be allowed in from Erez, including fruit and freezers, and that is a positive thing”, he said.
Palestinians say they are under siege and are unable to rebuild homes destroyed by Israeli bombings.
Turkey has long said improving relations with Israel is dependent on the blockade ending.
Remarking on the Israeli-Turkish reconciliation and its impact on the Gaza Strip, Abu Marzouk said the occupation could not achieve its goals by isolating Hamas in Turkey and Turkey could not break the siege, therefore it had opted to solve some of the problems resulting from the blockade. “Israel agreed that Turkey will be the coordinating country in delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza”.
According to the deal, Turkey’s aid to Gaza will be channelled through Ashdod rather than sending it directly to the Palestinian enclave which could also help persuade Israel to open a second crossing.
Israel has placed a tightened blockade on Gaza since 2007 after Hamas took over power in the strip, denying about 1.8 million population their basic rights and as a result causing a decline in their standard of living, unprecedented rates of unemployment and poverty.
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Israel has frozen mail services with the Gaza Strip, claiming the move was aimed at preventing banned items that are used by terrorists in attacks on the Jewish state from being smuggled into the Palestinian territory.
