Israel freezes permits to tens of thousands Palestinians to visit country on Ramadan

Baku. 9 June. REPORT.AZ/ Irael’s Defense Ministry said it was freezing tens of thousands of permits given to Palestinians to travel to Israel during the Muslim Ramadan holy month Thursday along with other punitive measures, in the wake of a terror attack in central Tel Aviv that killed four people, Report informs referring to the foreign media.

Eighty-three thousand permits for Palestinians from the West Bank to visit family in Israel or the Temple Mount in Jerusalem were rescinded overnight Wednesday, according to the Coordinator for Government Activities in the Territories, the Defense Ministry unit which manages civilian affairs in the West Bank. Permits for 500 people from the Gaza Strip to attend Friday prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque were also revoked.

Travel permits for 300 Palestinians living abroad to visit relatives in Gaza, and 500 West Bank Palestinians to travel out of Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv were also annulled.

The ministry also froze 204 regular work permits for members of the shooters’ family.

The moves followed an announcement last week that Israel would ease restrictions on Palestinian movement during Ramadan, as has been done in years past.