Israel bans Christians from reaching West Bank, Jerusalem

Gaza: Israel has banned the Christian minority who live in the Gaza Strip ruled by Hamas from visiting Christian holy sites and churches in the West Bank and Jerusalem to celebrate Christmas, a spokesman for the Christian community said on Sunday.

Israeli media reported on Saturday that Israel bans 500 Christians in the Gaza Strip from travelling to the West Bank for Christmas and New Year holidays.

Meanwhile, the Israeli daily said the Israeli security only agreed to allow 100 Christians from the Gaza Strip to travel to Jordan only for Christmas.

The Israeli ban has left more disappointment, anger, and frustration among the Christians in Gaza, Kamel Ayyad told reporters.

Last year, “Israel gave permission to about 500 Christians to travel to the West Bank to celebrate Christmas there,” he said, reported Xinhua news agency.

Around 5,000 Christians, most of whom are Greek Orthodox, lived in the Gaza Strip before Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization signed Oslo peace accords in 1994. However, their number dramatically declined because of the continuing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.

Since Hamas violently seized control of the Gaza Strip in 2007, the number of Christians in the coastal enclave has dropped to around 900 amid threats from radical Sunni groups. Those who left Gaza moved to either the West Bank or Europe, the United States, Canada, and Australia.

“The decision to ban Christians from leaving Gaza is unfair, unjust, causing disappointment among the Christians and also outraging the only two Orthodox and Catholic churches in Gaza,” said Ayyad. (IANS)

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