Israel prevents wife and children of deportee from traveling to Jordan to visit him in Gaza

Ma'an – "Nativity deportee says family denied entry to Jordan" -  Israeli authorities on Friday stopped the wife and children of a Palestinian exiled by Israel following the siege of the Church of Nativity, the deportee said.

Naji Ubayyat said his family was en route to visit him in Gaza, hoping to travel from Jordan to Egypt and then over the Rafah crossing.

He added that this was the second time his family had been denied entry to Jordan by Israeli authorities, who he said did not provide an explanation for their decision.

The deportee called on President Mahmoud Abbas, chief PLO negotiator Saeb Erekat and Civil Affairs chief Hussein Ash-Sheikh to assist his family either by getting them permission to cross through the Erez crossing to the north of Gaza or via Rafah.

Ubayyat is one of 38 Palestinians exiled from the West Bank after Israeli forces laid siege to the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem in 2002 during Operation Defensive Shield. Twelve Palestinians were exiled to Europe and the rest were deported to Gaza.