Israel will permit hundreds of Palestinian families living in the West Bank and Gaza to access Al-Aqsa mosque on the Temple Mount for Friday prayers and to visit relatives in the Palestinian territories and abroad as part of a sweeping policy to ease travel restrictions ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, the Jerusalem Post reported today.
In a statement, the Defense Ministry confirmed that 200 families from Gaza have received permits to visit the West Bank during Ramadan, with a further 800 Gazans approved to attend Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem and 300 Palestinians from abroad allowed to visit their families in the Strip.
“For the first time, the arrival of worshipers will be allowed via bus directly from the city centers to the Temple Mount,” said Major-General Yoav Mordechai. “The IDF will allow the entry of all Palestinians, men and women without a special permit, with the exception of men between the ages of 30 to 40.
“The departure of 500 residents from Judea and Samaria abroad via Ben Gurion Airport has been confirmed, and 500 families from the Gaza Strip have been approved to visit residents of Judea and Samaria,” he added.
Moreover, Mordechai announced extended hours of operation for border crossings.
There efforts are part of a broader policy to improve living standards for Palestinians residing in the West Bank and Gaza, reportedly spurred by the period of relative calm. On Sunday, Ynet similarly detailed measures taken by Israeli security forces to ease restrictions on the Palestinian territories, which include allowing tens of thousands of Palestinians “to pray in Jerusalem and travel in Israel ahead of the upcoming month of Ramadan.”
Israel’s efforts also include issuing permits to approximately 100 Palestinian doctors who are employed in Jerusalem to easily enter and travel around Israel, allowing organized groups of Palestinians to enter Israel on buses for day trips, and approving plans to expand Palestinian towns in the West Bank.
Any Palestinian man over 55 and woman over 50 can enter Israel freely – a potential 400,000 people. This is an unprecedented step not seen even in the early 1980s, and it frees up 2,000 work permits for Palestinians. There are 52,000 Palestinians holding a permit to work in Israel, another 26,000 Palestinians are allowed to work in the settlements, and 20,000 Palestinian merchants have permits to work in Israel.
Furthermore, the age required for married Palestinians to go to Israel for a few days to look for employment has been lowered from 24 to 22.
Israel also continues to facilitate reconstruction efforts in the Gaza Strip, although materials earmarked for civilian use continue to be diverted by Hamas for the construction of weapons bunkers and an intricate networks of smuggling and attack tunnels.
[Photo: Institute for the Study of the Ancient World / Flickr]