For the first time in five years, Israel on Sunday, December 30 allowed 20 truckloads of building materials into Gaza for use by the private sector, The New York Times reported. One of the first tangible concessions under a ceasefire deal reached after eight days of intensive fighting in November, it signaled a shift in Israel’s approach to the Palestinian enclave. Israeli officials said that construction materials would now be allowed in on a daily basis, in return for Egyptian help in preventing the smuggling of weapons into Gaza. The shipment on Sunday came in addition to 34 trucks of gravel that crossed into Gaza over the weekend from Egypt, which also had Israel’s approval. The materials from Egypt were earmarked for construction projects that the emir of Qatar pledged to pay for when he visited Gaza in October.