Israeli Army eases blockade of Palestinian territories

JERUSALEM, OCT 13: More than 20,000 Palestinians with permits to work in Israel, will be allowed to return to work from dawn on Tuesday i...

JERUSALEM, OCT 13: More than 20,000 Palestinians with permits to work in Israel, will be allowed to return to work from dawn on Tuesday in a move by the army to ease a 10-day-old long total blockade of the Palestinian territories.

A military spokesman said on Monday night that 21,000 Palestinian workers would be allowed in from Tuesday and that 8,000 Palestinian traders could also enter Israel.

The Palestinian territories have been sealed off, almost continuously for the past month to minimise the risks of anti-Israeli attacks during Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar at the end of September, and the recent week-long Jewish festival of Sukkot, or the Feast of Tabernacles.

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Israel has maintained tight restrictions on the movement of Palestinians from the territories since the Army killed two top militants of the radical Palestinian Islamic movement Hamas on September 10 in the West Bank.

In normal periods, 60,000 Palestinians with work permits travel regularly to Israel. Palestinianleaders say even a partial blockade of the West Bank or the Gaza Strip causes wage losses of up to two million dollars a day for the Palestinians.

Police personnel seen to control the situation during a massive protest over the statehood demand and the inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule, in Leh on Wednesday. (ANI Video Grab)

Statehood protest takes violent turn in Ladakh, BJP office set ablaze in Leh

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Protests in Ladakh turned violent as students and youth organisations demanded statehood and Sixth Schedule status. Two elderly protesters fainted, prompting a shutdown call. A BJP office and security vehicle were set on fire. Activist Sonam Wangchuk urged for a peaceful approach. The demand for Sixth Schedule status is due to Ladakh's tribal-majority population and direct central administration.

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