Israel shuts Gaza's only crossing

Israel yesterday closed its only crossing for people with the Gaza Strip except for humanitarian cases after weekend border clashes, the latest tightening of its blockade on the Palestinian enclave despite truce efforts.

The move could prevent Gazans from travelling via the crossing for this week's Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, which runs from Monday night until Thursday night, but Israeli officials did not say how long the closure would last.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump's national security adviser John Bolton yesterday arrived in Israel for talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a time of shared concerns over Syria, Iran and the Gaza Strip.

Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said in a statement the closure was due to "violent incidents on the border last Friday".

Border protests and clashes on Friday saw two Palestinians killed by Israeli gunfire.