By Naomi Altchouler/TPS
Gaza Border (TPS) – A truck carrying Turkish goods arrived at the Kerem Shalom crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip on Monday afternoon. This is the first shipment from a Turkish aid ship that arrived in Israel on Sunday and docked at the Ashdod port as part of the reconciliation agreement signed by both countries last week.
The truck contained a shipment of toys and diapers inside boxes bearing the Turkish flag, according to a statement by the Defense Ministry. Officials from the Defense Ministry’s Crossing Authority and the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) unloaded the goods and transferred them into the Gaza Strip.
The deal restored the diplomatic ties between Israel and Turkey for the first time since a bloody encounter between IDF commandos and Turkish terrorists on the Mavi Marmara ship making its way to Gaza in 2010, which resulted in the deaths of ten terrorists.
According to the deal, Israel promised to allow Turkey to send humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip via the Ashdod port in Israel. In turn, Turkey promised to stop allowing terror organizations such as Hamas to plot attacks against Israel or to raise funds from Turkish territory.
Michael Bachner contributed to this article.