IDF: 10,000 Palestinians return to jobs in Israel
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Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon arrives Sunday in Moscow's Vnukovo airport.
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JERUSALEM (CNN) -- The Erez border crossing from Gaza opened Sunday for the first time in nearly a month, making way for thousands of Palestinians to return to jobs in Israel, the Israeli army said.
Israel Defense Forces closed the border on October 4 after a terrorist suicide bomber killed 23 people at a crowded restaurant in the Israeli coastal city of Haifa.
"In the framework of the measures to ease conditions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and in continuation to the easing measures taken Wednesday, the entry of 10,000 Palestinian workers into Israel from the Gaza Strip is allowed since this morning," the IDF said in a statement.
On Wednesday, Israel allowed 3,000 Palestinian workers to enter Israel from the West Bank and another 1,500 to work at Israel's Atarot industrial area near Jerusalem, an Israeli army spokeswoman said.
The army eased the restrictions as Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon flew to Moscow, where he is expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Sharon is expected to discuss Iran's alleged nuclear weapons program and a proposed Russian Mideast peace initiative with Putin and other Russian officials.
