Hamas barred 37 Palestinian war orphans from Gaza from entering Israel as part of a one week humanitarian visit on Sunday. The terror group claimed that the trip would interfere with the children’s education and constitute “normalization” with the Jewish state.

The visit, organized by Yoel Marshak of the Kibbutz Movement in association with the Arab Israeli towns of Rahat and Kfar Kassem, was meant to bring tchildren of Hamas operatives killed in Operation Protective Edge as part of a recreational and educational experience.

Upon reaching the Hamas checkpoint on the Palestinian side of the Erez border crossing, the bus transporting the teens was turned back.

“Security forces prevented 37 children of martyrs from entering the land occupied in 1948 for a suspicious visit to a number of settlements and occupied cities,” read a statement from Hamas Interior Ministry spokesman Iyad Al-Bozon on Facebook.

“This move came in order to safeguard our children’s education and protect them from the policy of normalization,” he continued. “These types of encounters are Israeli attempts to brainwash the children so that they forget the Palestinian issue and give up their principles.”

The children, aged 5 to 12, had been pre-cleared to visit Israel by the IDF more than a week before. The children were to attend an Israeli safari, meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, and tour Israeli communities along the Gaza border.

Marshak, who waited for hours at the border, expressed his hope that one day the children would be able to come visit Israel. “We did everything we could to allow them to enter Israel…but sadly it was Hamas’ men at the crossing that created the issue,” he told Ynet.