Elected local officials in Israeli communities throughout Judea and Samaria do not have the legal right to block Palestinian laborers from entering their communities if the military allows their employment, Israeli courts have confirmed in a series of recent cases, Israel Hayom reported on Sunday.

In a case brought by a group of Arab workers against the city of Efrat in Judea’s Gush Etzion region, a judge ruled that the municipality’s blanket ban on the entry of Palestinian Authority residents was illegal.

“Starting next Tuesday, in accordance with the army’s decision and the court ruling, construction workers will resume their activities within Efrat,” Mayor Dovi Shefler said in a message to residents last week.