Christians in the Gaza Strip say they’ve been granted less than half the number of permits they’ve requested from Israel to visit Jerusalem and the West Bank city of Bethlehem for Christmas.
Quoting Palestinian border officials, Reuters reports Israel has issued 316 permits, out of of 800 Christian leaders in Gaza say were requested.
“They issued permits for old people, not the young,” Haifa Assalfiti tells the news agency before exiting from Gaza through the Erez border crossing to travel to Bethlehem.
“My son, my daughter and my daughter-in-law didn’t get permits. They are at home angry,” she adds.
There is no immediate comment from the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, Israel’s military liaison to the Palestinians.
Israel said Tuesday it would allow Christians in Gaza to visit Jerusalem and Bethlehem for Christmas, after a COGAT spokeswoman said earlier that travel permits would only be issued for abroad in a move criticized by Palestinian Christian leaders in the Strip.
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