As the Muslim holy month came to an end, Israel granted thousands of entry permits to West Bank Palestinians. Many took the opportunity to visit the beach and other places they are normally forbidden from reaching.
Photos by Oren Ziv, Yotam Ronen, Faiz Abu Rmeleh / Activestills.org
Palestinians, many of whom came from the West Bank, bathe in the Mediterranean Sea during the last day of the Eid al-Fitr holiday in Jaffa, July 19, 2015.
Thousands of Palestinian from the West Bank crossed the Green Line to celebrate the end of Ramadan on Israel’s beaches this past weekend. Israeli authorities issued thousands of entry permits, allowing Palestinians to visit Israel during the three-day Eid al-Fitr holiday. Many traveled as far as Tel Aviv-Jaffa and Acre in the north.
Palestinians in the West Bank are subject to a permit regime that not only severely restricts their ability to enter Israel, but also within the West Bank itself.
A Palestinian woman stands in the Mediterranean Sea during the last day of the Eid al-Fitr holiday as the sun sets in Tel Aviv, July 19, 2015. Israeli authorities issued thousands of permits for Palestinians living in the West Bank, allowing them to visit Israel during the three-day holiday that marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan. (photo: Yotam Ronen/Activestills.org)
Throughout the month of Ramadan, Israeli authorities allowed Palestinian women as well as men over 40 to cross Qalandiya checkpoint in order to reach Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Young men who weren’t allowed to cross often used ladders to climb over the separation barrier
Palestinians women overlook the Mediterranean Sea during the last day of Eid al-Fitr, Jaffa, July 19, 2015. (photo: Oren Ziv/Activestills.org)
Palestinian women take a ‘selfie’ on the beach in Tel Aviv during the last day of the Eid al-Fitr holiday. (photo: Oren Ziv/Activestills.org)
Palestinian women sit in the Mediterranean Sea during the second day of the Eid al-Fitr holiday as the sun sets in Tel Aviv, Israel, Friday, July 18, 2015. (photo: Oren Ziv/Activestills.org)
A Palestinian woman takes photos of Eritrean asylum seekers on their wedding day during the second day of the Eid al-Fitr holiday, Tel Aviv, Israel, Friday, July 18, 2015. (photo: Oren Ziv/Activestills.org)
A Palestinian boy jumps into the sea in the city of Acre during the last day of the Eid al-Fitr, July 19, 2015. (photo: Faiz Abu Rmeleh/Activestills.org)
Related:
PHOTOS: Palestinians cross into Jerusalem for Ramadan
Palestinians cease being ‘threats’ — for a month
Ramadan is over, the Muslims are coming
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