Israel saidon Sunday it would try to assist Palestinian students in the Gaza Strip hoping to study overseas achieve their aim by letting them leave the blockaded territory, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said.
Israel's agreement to help came in response to a request by the United States on Friday that it allow seven students set to receive coveted US Government Fulbright fellowships to travel to Jerusalem for a visa interview.
"There are various students that we were asked to help with... The US discussed it with us and we are looking into it to see if we can help," Foreign Ministry spokesman Arye Mekel said.
The US Consulate General in Jerusalem on Sunday wrote to the seven students telling them that it was working to secure exit permits for a visa interview in Jerusalem so that they can travel to the US.
Frequent rocket attacks from Gaza into Israel have led Israel to reduce contacts with the territory. Israel argues that its travel restrictions are designed to prevent suicide bombings or other attacks.
Abdul Rahman Abdullah, 30, from Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip who is hoping to travel to the US for an MBA course as part of the Fulbright program said the joy was still only partial.
'Deprived of the right to education'
"Gaza students should not be deprived of the right to education and the fact that we have been able to convey the message is a success but our joy is not complete because there are at least 700 other students who want to study abroad," Abdullah said.
Fulbright grants are the US Flagship program in international educational exchange and are used to help promote a better understanding of US Values abroad.
On Monday, an Israeli group which lobbies for freedom of movement for Palestinians is set to petition Israel's High Court in Jerusalem on behalf of two students who are seeking the right to travel to study in Britain and Germany.
A spokeswoman for the Gisha group also said some 700 Gaza students were being denied the right to exit the strip for studies abroad.