Crossing of humiliation: Palestinian families lament travel delays, congestion

Crossing of humiliation: Palestinian families lament travel delays, congestion

RAMALLAH: Palestinians traveling from and through Jordan to the West Bank via an Israeli crossing are experiencing long delays and overcrowding. The Palestinians, who do not have an airport, are forced to travel through Queen Alia International Airport in Jordan. Nearly 3.5 million Palestinians travel from the West Bank through Jordan in a year. According to Palestinian sources, about 7,000 passengers cross daily from Jordan to the West Bank and from the West Bank through Jordan, reaching up to 10,000 passengers per day on holidays. The crossings, which are controlled by Israeli authorities, open for 13 hours daily and for five hours on Fridays and Saturdays, contributing to the overcrowding. Thousands of Palestinians who live abroad and have not been able to visit their families in the West Bank during the past three years due to COVID-19 restrictions have decided to travel this summer, adding pressure to the overcrowding. The US and Morocco mediated with Israel to open the crossings around the clock, and Israel said it agreed but needed to prepare the logistics by the end of September. But Palestinian sources told Arab News that they had not yet received any notification about such a possibility. Passenger anger was