For the first time in more than a year, Israel has approved the export of thousands of flowers from Gaza to the European market.
Maj. Peter Lerner, spokesman for the Israel's Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), said in a statement that the move was carried out in response to a request from the Dutch government.
Some 25,000 carnations were shipped out of the region via the Kerem Shalom cargo terminal on Thursday morning, according to Lerner. The fragrant shipment is scheduled to arrive in Europe just in time for the Christian holiday of Valentine's Day.
Egypt Arrests Smugglers Bringing Goods Into Gaza
While Israel was facilitating Gaza's first official export to Europe this year, Egypt on Thursday arrested 40 suspected smugglers in a crackdown which began last weekend along the country's border with Gaza.
An Egyptian security source told the Associated Press that officials also seized contraband goods worth approximately one million dollars in the raid. Specific information was not made available about the exact items confiscated, but they included food items, kitchen blenders, television sets and similar items.
Approximately 1,000 police officers are patrolling the alleyways and hillsides in and around Rafiah, the town that straddles the border between Egypt and Gaza. It is also the location of the only crossing into the region that does not lead into pre-1967 Israel.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak with the media, said new checkpoints have also been added along the entrances and exits to the border town.