Israel closes Gaza border during incursion

Israeli troops entered the northern Gaza Strip on Wednesday morning, sealing the Erez border crossing between the territory and Israel, Hamas officials said. "Occupation forces moved into the northern Gaza Strip and began bulldozing work and closed the Erez crossing to travellers," a statement from the Hamas interior ministry said. Witnesses told Agence France Presse that two Israeli bulldozers accompanied by three tanks had moved into the area and were operating in fields there. The Israeli military had no immediate comment on the report, and the Israeli civil administration responsible for the Erez border crossing said it had no information on its reported closure. An official at the crossing told AFP that it had opened late, but was now operating normally. Israeli troops regularly carry out brief incursions into the Gaza Strip, despite formally withdrawing from the area in 2005. They usually enter the Palestinian territory to raze homes or trees near the border that they claim are used by militants trying to infiltrate Israel, fire rockets or plant explosives along the border area.