Agricultural exports from Gaza restart after 40 days

Gaza on Tuesday resumed agricultural exports across the Kerem Shalom checkpoint into Israel, after they were suspended almost six weeks ago amid the war between Israeli forces and Hamas militants.

Truckloads of vegetables were driven through the crossing, following an Israeli government decision to allow a limited range of exports to restart.

The development came as Israel eased some restrictions on the Gaza Strip that have threatened the fragile cease-fire that ended last month's clashes.

The truce came under new pressure last week when Hamas-linked activists launched incendiary balloons across the border, burning farmland and triggering Israeli airstrikes.

The war started when Hamas fired salvos of rockets toward Jerusalem and other Israeli towns last month.

Hamas says the attacks were a response to Israeli police raids and heavy-handed policy against Muslim worshippers at Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque and planned evictions of Palestinian families from an Arab neighborhood.