OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, 13 July 2003 — Foreign tourists can travel again freely to the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem, which last week reverted to Palestinian control, an Israeli military spokesman said yesterday.
For months, tourists who wanted to visit Bethlehem, one of Christianity’s holiest places, had to obtain special permission from the Israeli Army, which blockaded the city.
“From now on, tourists can visit Bethlehem freely. But they must not go in private cars. They must take the bus or enter the town on foot,” the spokesman said.
Foreigners with a press card issued by the Israeli government press office, a diplomatic passport or those employed by international organizations such as the Red Cross are also free to enter Bethlehem, the spokesman added.
On Wednesday the Israeli Army transferred control of Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus Christ, back to Palestinian police, while maintaining a ring of checkpoints around the city.
Bethlehem and its surrounding area was reoccupied by Israel for the first time in April 2002 along with other autonomous towns in the West Bank. The Israeli Army left in Aug. 19, 2002, delegating the maintenance of security to Palestinian police.
However, what was intended as a pilot project and to have been adopted in other towns in the Palestinian areas, was abandoned.
The Israeli Army reoccupied Bethlehem Nov. 22, the day after a deadly attack on a bus in south Jerusalem by a Bethlehem suicide bomber killed 11 and left tens of people injured.
The army subsequently took control of the entire autonomous zone surrounding Bethlehem, including the neighboring towns of Beit Jala and Beit Sahur.
Meanwhile, the Israeli Army has demolished a Palestinian house in Rafah, in its first such action in the Gaza Strip since main Palestinian militant groups declared a cease-fire last month, a Palestinian security source said.
The army demolished the three story house near the border with Egypt on Friday using bulldozers and without giving prior warning to residents, the source said. Israeli forces also opened fire on Palestinian dwellings at the Khan Younis refugee camp, and at a Palestinian security post, without causing any injuries, said the source.
