JERUSALEM, June 4 (Reuters) - Israel allowed four of seven Palestinians who were awarded prestigious U.S. fellowships to leave the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip to apply for visas to the United States, an Israeli human rights group said on Wednesday.

Israel allowed the four Fulbright students to travel to the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem for visa interviews. They will return to Gaza later in the day and remain there until their visas are finalised, the human rights group, Gisha, said.

Three Fulbright students have yet to receive Israeli approval to travel to the Consulate, Gisha said.

A U.S. Consulate spokeswoman was not immediately available to comment.

The United States said on Monday that it had erred by not approaching the Israeli government earlier to help the seven students from Gaza who had been selected for the prestigious U.S. government scholarship.

Israel tightened its cordon of the Gaza Strip after the Hamas Islamist group took over the the coastal Mediterranean territory nearly a year ago. Israel gives few Palestinians, other than some who are gravely ill, permission to leave.

The U.S. State Department last week told the seven their Fulbright grants had been withdrawn, but that decision was subsequently reversed. (Writing by Adam Entous, editing by Richard Williams)

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