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Live UpdateFrom the Liveblog of Thursday, March 9, 2017
Israel announces closure of West Bank, Gaza for Purim
The Defense Ministry has announced a closure of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip during the Purim holiday. The closure starts at midnight tonight and will end at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday night.
Palestinian workers will not be allowed into Israel during the three-day period, to prevent security incidents during the Jewish holiday.
Israeli security forces at the Qalandiya checkpoint near Ramallah, on November 22, 2016 (Flash90)
Humanitarian cases will be allowed entry, as will people with certain other exceptional circumstances.
