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Defense Minister Ehud Barak meeting with Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad in Jerusalem on Sunday. (AP)
Last update - 21:27 07/12/2008
Israel offers to ease West Bank restrictions over upcoming holidays
By Haaertz Service
Tags: Israel news, ehud barak 

Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Sunday offered to ease restriction for West Bank Palestinians over the coming Muslim holiday, during talks with Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad in Jerusalem.

Among the easing of restrictions, Barak told Fayyad that men over the age of 40 and married women of all ages would be allowed to enter Israel to visit their immediate families.

He also said that Arabs with Israeli citizenship would be allowed to enter Area A of the West Bank, a zone typically off limits to all Israelis.
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Barak promised to grant exit visas to Palestinian men over the age of 45 who wished to pray at the Temple Mount over the course of the holidays.

Restrictions on West Bank movement would also be eased, with hours extended at checkpoints to allow longer periods of travel on main roads.

Barak told Fayyad that Israel would also consider allowing Palestinian to deploy their own police force in Bethlehem during Christmas.

Despite these offers, the defense minister said that Israel would not reopen border crossings to the Gaza Strip in light of the ongoing Qassam fire.

"Hamas is responsible for the difficult situation in the Strip," Barak told Fayyad.

Related articles:
  • IAF bombs Gaza militants preparing to fire Qassams
  • Israel pulls 20 Palestinians from list of 250 prisoners set for release



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