Israel to Take in Orphans from Syrian Civil War

Israel has agreed to accept 100 children who were orphaned in the Syrian civil war, the Nana10 news site reported on Wednesday night.

The plan, approved by Interior Minister Rabbi Aryeh Deri, will be the first time since the Syrian fighting broke out in 2011 that Israel has agreed to take in refugees, except for temporary medical care of the wounded.

According to the emerging outline, the children will be housed during the first three months of their stay in Israel at a boarding school. They will then attend institutions provided by the Education Ministry, and the state will attempt to place them with foster families in Israel. They will remain in Israel under the status of temporary residents. They will receive identity cards, passports, and be treated as citizens in every way.

In addition the possibility remains that close relatives of the children, such as siblings, or their parents if they are discovered to be alive, may be absorbed as well. The government intends to assure the U.N. that after four years the children can have their temporary resident status upgraded to full citizenship and be allowed to live in Israel their entire lives.