Israel allowed three Eritreans who had been stranded in no-man's land on the Egypt border to enter on Thursday, as part of a deal in which 18 other men from the group would head back toward Egypt. The 21 Eritreans - including two women and a 14-year-old boy - had been stuck since August 30 between Israel's new and old border fences, in a zone technically within the sovereign borders of the Jewish state.
An Israeli NGO, We Are Refugees, filed a petition against Defence Minister Ehud Barak and Interior Minister Eli Yishai for refusing to allow them into the country, but at a Thursday session, the High Court did not reach a decision on the matter. Later in the day an Israeli official told AFP that the agreement, under which the women and minor would enter Israel while the rest returned toward Egypt, was reached between military commanders from both sides, as well as the Eritreans. "What was agreed upon there was of course authorised by the highest levels," the official said. In a statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said "it's important that everyone understands that Israel is no longer a destination for infiltrators."
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