GAZA STRIP - One day after 42 truckloads of humanitarian aid was delivered to residents of the Gaza Strip, a Kassam attack by Palestinians on a kibbutz in the western Negev prompted Defense Minister Ehud Barak to again close the border crossings.

Meanwhile, the government has not lifted a two-week old ban barring foreign journalists from entering the Gaza Strip.

Outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told reporters in Washington Tuesday that Israel can't "take the responsibility for the safety of journalists" lightly.

"There are security situations in which certain restrictions are set for a short period and it doesn't mean the Israeli government is trying to hide something in the Gaza Strip," Olmert said.

Source: Israel National News