Israeli authorities on Wednesday said they would permit 500 members of the Gaza Strip's tiny Christian community to enter Israel to celebrate Christmas.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
COGAT, the Israeli defense body responsible for Palestinian civilian affairs, announced the permits allowing people to visit relatives and holy sites in Israel. It said it was also increasing access to Jerusalem for Christians in the territories of Judea and Samaria and allowing some 200 Gazan Christians to travel through Israel to Jordan for journeys abroad.
About 1,000 Christians live in Gaza, a tiny fraction of the territory's 2 million people. Most are Greek Orthodox, with Catholics making up about a quarter of the small community.
