<span style="color: #222222;">Israel today re-opened its crossings with the blockaded Gaza Strip after closing them during a deadly escalation earlier this month.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">In a statement, the Defence ministry said both the Erez crossing for people and Kerem Shalom crossing for goods were open and operating. Both had been closed on 4th May, when Gaza rulers Hamas and its ally Islamic Jihad fired hundreds of rockets at Israel.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">25 Palestinians, including at least nine militants, and four Israeli civilians were killed in the two-day flare-up. Palestinian officials said Israel had agreed to ease its crippling decade-long blockade of the impoverished enclave in exchange for calm.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Israel did not publicly confirm the deal, but on Friday lifted the ban it had imposed on Palestinian fishing boats operating off Gaza.</span><br />