ain access to the outside world. Israel responded by easing restrictions on people and goods moving through the two crossings it controls, Erez and Kerem Shalom, though with minimal impact. In August, for example, Israel allowed 24 percent more entries through Erez, but that compensated for only 6.5 percent

amas vows to contain Gaza's more extreme elements in=exchange for improved trade through Rafah, the border crossing controlled =y Egypt, as well as Kerem Shalom, the commercial crossing managed by Israe=. "The new X-factor is that Egypt is now part of that mix," said David Ma=ovsky of the Washington Institut