Monday, May 6, 2013

Israel finally allows children of prisoners from gaza to visit their jailed fathers

How sad that children in Gaza who had fathers in Israeli prisons had not been able to see them since 2006.

GAZA, May 6 — Israel allowed Gaza children under eight-year-old to visit their jailed fathers for the first time in over six years, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said Monday.

Seven children traveled Monday to Israel with their mothers or grandparents to see their fathers in prison, according to Nasser Al-Najjar, spokesperson for the ICRC.

The ICRC welcomed the Israeli decision, Al-Najjar said, hoping Israel would remove other restrictions to the prisoners’ family members.

Israel suspended all visits to Gaza prisoners when Islamic Hamas movement, which controls Gaza, captured an Israeli soldier in a cross-border raid in 2006, who was then swapped for more than 1,000 prisoners in 2010.

Last year, Israel resumed family visits to Gaza after a hunger strike of the detainees, but the visits were restricted only to the wives and parents of the inmates.

Israel now holds about 400 prisoners from the Gaza Strip.

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