Israel's High Court struck down a petition Monday evening demanding that the crossing points into the Gaza Strip remain closed despite a truce with Palestinian militants stipulating the crossings be opened to allow humanitarian aid to enter the salient, according to dpa. The petition was filed by the parents of an Israeli soldier who has been held captive in the Strip for the past two years, and led the court to issue a temporary injunction Sunday against changing the status quo at the Gaza crossing points. In their submission before the court, Noam and Aviv Shalit protested the decision to open the crossing points, as part of a truce, before their son, Gilad, is released from captivity. They believe that keeping the crossing points closed is the best way to pressure their son's captors, and argued that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert had lied to the security, or inner, cabinet, by saying that any ceasefire deal would include the release of their son. Replying to the motion, the State Attorney's Office urged the court to reject the petition, which it said interfered with the government's agenda, which included the release of the soldier as a top priority. The Shalits met Sunday night with Ministry of Defence official Amos Gilad, who briefed them on the status of negotiations with the Hamas organization over the release of their son. On Monday, Noam Shalit refused to withdraw his petition, forcing the court to convene to rule on it. Gilad Shalit was snatched in a cross-border raid launched from the Strip on June 25, 2006. Hamas is demanding that Israel free hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in return for his release. Israel continued transferring goods to the Strip Monday, but a spokesman said only the barest amount of humanitarian aid was being let in while the court debated the Shalits' petition. Palestinian officials said Monday that the goods allowed into the salient did not mark a change in Israeli policy and did not exceed 20 per cent of the enclave's needs. The officials said some 80 trucks entered Gaza, five of which were destined for a United Nations aid agency and two of which were earmarked for the International Committee of the Red Cross. Israel also allowed in 17 truckloads of fruit, seven of sugar, five of flour and salt, and five of cooking oil, three of frozen meat, three of shoes, one of chocolate, one of medicine, and half truckloads of dairy products and frozen fish. Some 40 other trucks carrying fodder crossed through the Karni crossing east of Gaza City, the officials said. This is the same number which used to enter the Strip before Israel agreed to ease its blockade as part of the Egyptian-brokered ceasefire. The ceasefire came into effect last Thursday morning, ending months of violence between the sides.
