Palestinian Authority officials said Tuesday that Israel had allowed to let 3,500 foreign spouses of Gaza Arabs, most of them Arabs, move to Gaza. Foreign spouses of Arabs in Gaza are generally not allowed to reside in Gaza due to security concerns, while foreign spouses of Arabs in Judea and Samaria are granted residential status.
According to the PA, more than 50,000 Arabs living in Gaza have applied for “family reunion” in Gaza. Israel’s decision to allow 3,500 foreigners into Gaza was a gesture for the Muslim holiday of Eid ul-Fitr, they said.