Israel Grants Permits For Gazans to Pray at Jerusalem Mosque

Oct 06, 2014 01:44 AM EDT

(Photo : Reuters/Ammar Awad) 1,500 elderly Gazan pilgrims have been granted entry into Israel for the three-day celebration of the Muslim holiday of Eid Al-Adha or Feast of Sacrifice. This marks the first time Gazans have been permitted entrance into Israeli territory since the ban was enforced in 2007.

Hundreds of Muslim Gazans paid a rare visit to a key mosque in Israel on Sunday after restrictions against travel from the Hamas-controlled Palestine eased to make way for the celebration of the Muslim holiday of Eid Al-Adha.

According to the Israeli army, about 1,500 permits were given to elderly Gazan pilgrims, aged 60 and over, to travel in the country for three days until the feast ends on Tuesday.

Like Us on Facebook

The first wave of pilgrims arrived on Sunday morning and was allowed to stay at the Al-Aqsa mosque, considered to be the third holiest pilgrim site in Islam, until 3:00 p.m. local time. They were escorted back to the Gaza border afterwards.

The day marked the first time Muslim worshipers from Palestine have been permitted entry into Jerusalem since 2007 when the Islamist Hamas militants seized control of Gaza, AFP reported.

Permits were given for Christian pilgrims wanting to visit Bethlehem on holidays, but Muslims were especially restricted from entering Israeli territory to visit the mosque, said Gisha, an Israeli group advocating for freedom of movement for Gazans.

Israel lifted the travel restrictions just over a month after the deadly 50-day offensive against the Hamas militants in Gaza, which resulted in over 2,100 Palestinian deaths and 73 deaths from the Israeli side of the border.

Israel has also eased other restrictions, including allowing the export of agricultural and fish products that were banned in 2007.

The country has also issued permits to about 500 Gazans to visit their relatives in West Bank, in addition to measures that would allow the entry of construction materials into war-torn Gaza to facilitate rebuilding, AFP reported.

An elderly Gazan who received a permit called the gesture "a positive step."

A spokesperson for Gisha echoed the same sentiment, but noted that the move was a temporary gesture of goodwill for Muslims on one of their most important holidays, rather than a permanent arrangement.

TagsIsrael, Hamas, Eid Al-Adha, Palestinian territories, Religion Belief