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Hamas eases security restrictions imposed on Gaza: official

Xinhua, April 6, 2017 Adjust font size:

Islamic Hamas movement has eased the security restrictions on the movement of Gaza Strip's population, imposed two weeks ago in the wake of the murder of one Hamas top militant, a senior official said Thursday.

Eyad al-Bozom, spokesman for the Hamas-run ministry of interior, told reporters that restrictions on fishing have been already lifted, and fishermen can go back to their work as usual.

He also said that Hamas would let the Palestinian Christians, residents of the Gaza Strip to leave to Jerusalem for the celebration of Easter next week. He said he doesn't have exact figures on how many will leave.

"We will let any Christian who wants to leave the Gaza Strip for their holidays," said al-Bozom.

Hamas imposed the security restrictions on Gaza populations' movement in the wake of the murder of Mazen Fuqaha, a Hamas militant from the West Bank who was deported to Gaza in October 2011 in a prisoner swap deal with Israel.

Restrictions, excluding patients and families of prisoners in Israel, regulated that anyone aged between 15 and 45 years old was banned from leaving the Gaza Strip, and fishermen were banned from fishing in the sea.

Hamas has been ruling the Gaza Strip since it had violently seized the control in 2007 following weeks of internal street fighting with the security forces of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Endit