Defense Minister Ehud Barak has ordered all Gaza crossings closed following the Tuesday evening ceasefire violation, the firing of a Kassam rocket into the Ashkelon Coast Regional Council area. There were no injuries or damage as a result of the attack. The crossings are ordered closed today, Wednesday.

On the diplomatic front, President Shimon Peres is scheduled to travel to Egypt on Thursday, where he will meet in Sharm el-Sheikh with President Hosni Mubarak. Talks are expected to include a number of issues with a focus on efforts to obtain the release of captive IDF soldier Gilad Shalit.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel – written on isru chag in Eretz Yisrael)