Israel borders opened

Israel loosened its tight grip on the Gaza Strip last night, allowing 10,000 Palestinian workers to enter Israel, a military spokesman said.

Those allowed through all carried permits stating that they were over 35 years old.

The military has enforced a total closure of the borders around the Palestinian territories since a suicide bombing on October 4 in a restaurant in Haifa, northern Israel, left 22 people dead.

Before then some 10,000 Palestinians travelled daily to Israel from the Gaza Strip and a similar number from the West Bank.