Palestinians exported the first load of crops on Sunday grown in Gaza greenhouses left behind by evacuated settlers, boosting hopes that Israel's withdrawal from the Strip could jump-start Gaza's ailing economy.
Officials from the Palestine Economic Development Company (PEDC), which is running the greenhouses, said 2.5 tons of peppers left Gaza through the Karni crossing for sale in Israeli markets.
The shipment went ahead despite Israeli threats - made after a suicide bombing in Netanya last week in which five Israelis were killed - to limit trade across the Gaza border unless the Palestinian Authority cracks down on militants.
"I am very pleased. The shipment moved without problems. I hope this will be a good start," said PEDC chairman Basil Jaber. Palestinian officials hope to export a further shipment of produce to Europe via Israel next week.
Palestinian commercial access to the outside world is crucial:*to strengthen Gaza's economy and
*to improve the prospects for peace talks after Israel's withdrawal from Gaza.
The border deal to allow Palestinians to export produce from the 2005 harvest was part of a package brokered last month by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Border Security Issues*Before Israel left Gaza, Palestinians often complained that crops perished while they were held up for checks designed to stop attacks by militants.
*Under the border agreement brokered by Secretary Rice, Israel should allow 150 trucks a day through Karni by the end of the year, rising to 400 a day by the end of 2006.
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