Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced this week that Israel would close the Kerem Shalom crossing to the Gaza Strip. The move comes in the wake of Hamas's increased terrorist activity directed at southern Israel. Kerem Shalom is the main commercial crossing into the Gaza Strip. The Israel Defense Force announced that there would be no export or marketing of goods from the Gaza Strip except for humanitarian supplies. Israel also announced the formation of a new committee to combat Palestinian arson terrorism. The task force will be comprised of firefighters and Homefront Command teams equipped to handle the fires caused by Hamas's improvised explosive devices (IEDs) that are launched using kites or balloons. Fires that have spread from these attacks have decimated up to 25 percent of all nature reserves near the border, according to the Israel Nature and Parks Authority. More >