Israeli occupation authorities on Saturday issued nearly 600 permits for Christians from the Gaza Strip to visit the holy places in the West Bank and celebrate the Christmas, Palestinian sources said.

"The Christians in the Gaza Strip can leave as of Sunday to visit the holy sites in Bethlehem," the sources added.

The permissions are valid for one month, they said, adding that Israeli authorities refused to permit Christians between 12 to 30 years of age to visit the West Bank.

Around 2,000 Christians live in the Gaza Strip, which has a total population of about 1.9 million people.

Source: MENA