Israel Suspends Entry Permits For 83,000 Palestinians

Israel is deploying more troops to the West Bank and has suspended entry permits for 83,000 Palestinians during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

The moves follows yesterdays attack in Tel Aviv where two gunmen killed four people.

Israel’s military said it would deploy two additional battalions involving “hundreds” of troops in the West Bank in the wake of the attack.

RT reports:

“All permits for Ramadan, especially permits for family visits from Judea and Samaria to Israel, are frozen,” COGAT, the unit responsible for civilian affairs in the West Bank, said in a statement.

Entry permits are given to visit relatives and holy sites during Ramadan. Those who have been issued permits will have them suspended as well, according to Ynet. Entering and leaving will for now be permitted only in humanitarian and medical cases.

The authorities announced that two battalions would be deployed in the West Bank by the end of the day to step up the troop presence in the area.

The news comes after two Palestinians opened fire at a popular Tel Aviv nightspot near Israel’s military headquarters on Wednesday. Four people were killed in the assault.

Last week, Israel said it was easing restrictions on the entry of Palestinians during Ramadan. The authorities had planned to let 500 people from Gaza come to Friday prayers at the Al-Aqsa mosque in East Jerusalem.