GAZA CITY (Ma’an) – Israeli authorities on Tuesday allowed the entry of gravel for commercial use in the Gaza Strip for the first time since imposing a crippling siege on the coastal enclave, a Gaza official says.

Nathmi Muhanna, head of the Gaza Strip’s crossings department, told Ma’an that Israel would allow entry of large quantities of gravel for construction on a daily basis.

“The Israeli side officially informed us that for the first time since the siege on Gaza started, 20 truckloads of gravel for commercial use would be allowed to enter the Gaza Strip every day,” Muhanna said.