Israel sealed its crossings with the West Bank and Gaza Strip for the Purim holiday. Defense Minister Amir Peretz ordered the closure to begin Thursday and end Monday, bookending the holiday.
Israel is on high alert for Palestinian terrorism from the West Bank, and will be curbing entry by Gazan traders and laborers during Purim as an additional precaution.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.