Zionist Regime Bars Gaza’s Christians From Visiting Bethlehem, al-Quds
GAZA (Dispatches) – Christians in the Gaza Strip will not be allowed to visit holy cities such as Bethlehem and al-Quds to celebrate Christmas this year, Zionist regime authorities say.
Gazan Christians will be granted permits to travel abroad but none will be allowed to go to the occupied territories and the occupied West Bank, home to many sites holy to Christians, a spokeswoman for the regime’s military liaison to the Palestinians said.
The occupying regime tightly restricts movements out of the Gaza Strip.
The spokeswoman said that following "security orders”, Gazans would be allowed to travel abroad via the Allenby Bridge crossing with Jordan but not to visit cities in the occupied territories.
Gaza has around 1,000 Christians - most of them Greek Orthodox - among a population of 2 million in the narrow coastal strip.
This year’s decision is a break with usual policy. Last year, the Zionist regime granted permits for close to 700 Gazan Christians to travel to al-Quds, Bethlehem, Nazareth and other holy cities that draw thousands of pilgrims each holiday season.
Gisha, an Israeli rights group, said the ban points "to the intensifying of access restrictions between the two parts of the Palestinian territory,” calling it "a deepening of Israel’s separation policy” for the West Bank and Gaza.
The Palestinians seek to set up a state in the West Bank and Gaza, territory the Zionist regime captured in the 1967 Middle East war.
The regime in the past has defended its restrictions on Gazans traveling to the West Bank, saying many Palestinians from Gaza stay on illegally when granted short-term permits.
Gazan Christians will be granted permits to travel abroad but none will be allowed to go to the occupied territories and the occupied West Bank, home to many sites holy to Christians, a spokeswoman for the regime’s military liaison to the Palestinians said.
The occupying regime tightly restricts movements out of the Gaza Strip.
The spokeswoman said that following "security orders”, Gazans would be allowed to travel abroad via the Allenby Bridge crossing with Jordan but not to visit cities in the occupied territories.
Gaza has around 1,000 Christians - most of them Greek Orthodox - among a population of 2 million in the narrow coastal strip.
This year’s decision is a break with usual policy. Last year, the Zionist regime granted permits for close to 700 Gazan Christians to travel to al-Quds, Bethlehem, Nazareth and other holy cities that draw thousands of pilgrims each holiday season.
Gisha, an Israeli rights group, said the ban points "to the intensifying of access restrictions between the two parts of the Palestinian territory,” calling it "a deepening of Israel’s separation policy” for the West Bank and Gaza.
The Palestinians seek to set up a state in the West Bank and Gaza, territory the Zionist regime captured in the 1967 Middle East war.
The regime in the past has defended its restrictions on Gazans traveling to the West Bank, saying many Palestinians from Gaza stay on illegally when granted short-term permits.