The Erez crossing (file)
The Erez crossing (file)Photo: Yonatan Zindel, Flash 90

Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon (Likud) on Monday announced the reopening to goods of one of the main crossing points into the Hamas terror enclave of Gaza, which has been closed for at least eight years.

However he did not give a date for the reopening of the Erez crossing in the north of the territory, saying only that this "will not happen tomorrow or the day after."

"It is in our interests that a significant amount of truckloads of food continues to go to Gaza," a spokesman for Ya'alon said in a statement.

"It is our interest that Gazans live in dignity. Both from a humanitarian point of view and because this is a way to protect the peace, in addition to existing security deterrents."

Ya'alon also spoke of the necessity to ease congestion at the Kerem Shalom crossing in the south, currently the only conduit for goods between Israel and Gaza.

He said that "at least half of what currently goes via Kerem Shalom" will be redirected to Erez.

Israel imposed a naval blockade on Gaza in 2006 as the Hamas terror organization took power, in an attempt to prevent the terrorists from smuggling in weapons.

Since 2014 Egypt has likewise been establishing a buffer zone inside Gaza.

Israel controls all but one of the crossing points with Gaza - the Rafah crossing into Egypt.

The Erez crossing was closed to the passage of goods in 2008.

AFP contributed to this report.