Israelis reopen Gaza's crossings
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Four out of five Gazans are reliant on food aid
Israel has reopened crossings into the Gaza Strip to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid.
Israeli officials said Defence Minister Ehud Barak took the decision after talks with security chiefs and requests from the international community.
About 80 trucks with supplies such as medicine, food and other goods are expected to cross on Friday.
The move comes despite Israeli warnings to Palestinian militants in Gaza to stop their rocket attacks on Israel.
On Friday, two Palestinian sisters - aged five and 12 - were killed when a mortar, apparently fired by Palestinian gunmen targeting Israel, hit their home in northern Gaza.
Medical officials said the incident happened in the village of Beit Lahya. The Israeli military said its forces had not fired in that area of the Gaza Strip, AFP reports.
Some 50 rockets have been launched from Gaza in recent days, after the killing of three Hamas members by Israel.
A six-month ceasefire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas ended last week.
Cairo talks
UN officials have warned that the Hamas-controlled territory is facing a humanitarian catastrophe. Four out of five Gazans are dependent on food aid and the UN warehouses there are now empty. The UN says the deliveries fall far short of what is needed.
The Israeli defence ministry did not say for how long the Gaza crossings would remain open but a spokesperson said the security situation was re-evaluated on a daily basis.
The ministry said a smaller number of rockets was fired on Friday morning than on previous days and therefore it was judged that the humanitarian need in Gaza was greater than the security need in Israel.
In November, Israel re-sealed the border with Gaza after temporarily opening it to allow in a limited amount of food and fuel. That step was taken after a rocket was fired at Israel from Gaza.
On Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said he would not hesitate to strike Hamas and also Islamic Jihad militants in Gaza.
Separately, Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said after Thursday's emergency talks in Cairo with top Egyptian officials that the latest escalation was "unbearable".
The BBC's Christian Fraser says some will see Ms Livni's visit as the first of several diplomatic steps Israel must take before launching military action.
BBC
US Town Makes Shooting Dogs Legal
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Residents don't want aggressive dogs - or scenes like this one in Chile
The controversial policy is the latest attempt to curb a growing population of feral dogs that are roaming the streets.
Since last week, authorities have been allowed to use shotguns to kill the 50 to 100 aggressive dogs running loose in the rural northern town of Ferris.
City manager David Chavez said the town had become a dumping ground for the unwanted pets.
The released animals breed, form packs and scavenge for food.
Police chief Frank Mooney says the town has tried other methods to protect its 2,300 residents with little success.
But animal rights advocates say the problem could be solved in better ways.
They argue the animals could be trapped, or punishment meted out on those who dump the dogs.
Ferris is about 20 miles south of Dallas in the Lone Star state.
Sky
