Israel Radio has claimed that the Israeli occupation authorities have issued special permits to the heads of the Palestinian security services and officials in the Palestinian Authority, rather than extending their VIP cards. Such permits are required for travel around and beyond the occupied West Bank. According to other sources, Israel's Shabak Security Agency has restricted the permit given to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to a period of two months only.

Israeli officials said that these permits will be valid for two months instead of the six months' applied to the VIP cards. The permits are "temporary" because of "Israeli security prohibitions" imposed on their holders, said the radio report.