Israel to allow Palestinians from West Bank to use airport

Aug 9, 2022, 11:21 AM | Updated: 12:16 pm
FILE - An Israeli soldier stands at the entrance to the Allenby border crossing, the main border cr...

FILE - An Israeli soldier stands at the entrance to the Allenby border crossing, the main border crossing for Palestinians from the West Bank traveling to neighboring Jordan and beyond, March 10, 2014. The Israel Airports Authority said Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022, that Israel will soon allow Palestinians from the occupied West Bank to travel on flights to Turkey out of an Israeli airport. (AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner, File)

(AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner, File)

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Palestinians from the occupied West Bank will soon be allowed to travel on flights to Turkey out of an Israeli airport, the Israel Airports Authority said Tuesday.

The move is part of a series of gestures Israel says it is making to improve the living conditions of Palestinians in both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Critics say the measures do not address the daily humiliations of the decades-long occupation or pave the road for Palestinian statehood.

The airports authority said in a statement that beginning in late August there will be twice-weekly flights from the southern city of Eilat’s Ramon airport to Antalya, Turkey, for Palestinians. Flights to Istanbul would begin in September.

There was no immediate comment from the Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the West Bank and cooperates with Israel on security matters.

Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza do not have their own airport and must apply for a hard-to-obtain airport permit to use Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport. Such permits are only approved, if at all, shortly before takeoff.

Those in the West Bank wishing to fly abroad must travel to Jordan’s capital Amman an hour away, through a crowded Israeli border crossing. The crossing isn’t open 24 hours a day, forcing many travelers to pay to stay in a hotel ahead of their flight. There are also travel costs and crossing fees that make the journey an added financial burden.

Gaza has been under an Israeli-Egyptian blockade since the militant Hamas group seized power in 2007, and all movement in and out of the territory is heavily restricted.

An Israeli security official said Palestinians would board shuttles from the West Bank, undergo a security screening at an Israeli crossing and then go through the Ramon airport like any other traveler. The official said the initial phase is a pilot project but could be expanded to additional locations if it is successful.

The official, who was not authorized to discuss the project with media and spoke on condition of anonymity, said the first travelers would leave from the West Bank city of Bethlehem on Aug. 22. There are no immediate plans to allow Palestinians from Gaza to use the airport.

Ramon airport, which is about 300 kilometers (185 miles) from Bethlehem, is Israel’s secondary airport, after Ben-Gurion International Airport. It is smaller, has fewer flights and destinations and is less busy. It lies next to the resort city of Eilat.

Israel captured the West Bank and Gaza in the 1967 Mideast war, and withdrew soldiers and settlers from Gaza two years before the Hamas takeover. The Palestinians want both territories to be part of their future state. There have been no serious peace talks in more than a decade.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


              FILE - A Boeing 707 aircraft has been converted to a cafe, in Wadi Al-Badhan, just outside the West Bank city of Nablus, Aug. 11, 2021. The Israel Airports Authority said Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022, that Israel will soon allow Palestinians from the occupied West Bank to travel on flights to Turkey out of an Israeli airport. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed, File)
            
              FILE - An Israeli soldier stands at the entrance to the Allenby border crossing, the main border crossing for Palestinians from the West Bank traveling to neighboring Jordan and beyond, March 10, 2014. The Israel Airports Authority said Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022, that Israel will soon allow Palestinians from the occupied West Bank to travel on flights to Turkey out of an Israeli airport. (AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner, File)

AP

FILE - Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer speaks inside the Recorders Office, Nov. 9, 2022, in...
Associated Press

Dominion conspiracies highlighted by Fox lawsuit have election officials concerned for safety

Maricopa County officials are bracing for what could happen when it comes time to replace its contract for voting equipment.
2 days ago
A building is damaged and trees are down after severe storm swept through Little Rock, Ark., Friday...
Associated Press

Tornado causes widespread damage to buildings, vehicles in Little Rock

A tornado raced through Little Rock and surrounding areas Friday, splintering homes, overturning vehicles and tossing trees.
2 days ago
FILE - Former President Donald Trump speaks with reporters while in flight on his plane after a cam...
Associated Press

Worries grow that Trump indictment could undermine public confidence in other investigations

Trump’s attempts to overturn those results amid false claims of widespread fraud are at the heart of two other ongoing investigations.
2 days ago
(Facebook Photo/Superior Court of Arizona in Yavapai County)...
Associated Press

Arizona judge has cases reassigned following DUI arrest

The Arizona Supreme Court has ruled that all cases currently assigned to a Yavapai County Superior Court judge recently arrested on suspicion of extreme DUI will be reassigned to other judges.
6 days ago
Haitian migrant Gerson Solay, 28, carries his daughter, Bianca, as he and his family cross into Can...
Associated Press

US, Canada to end loophole that allows asylum-seekers to move between countries

President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday announced a plan to close a loophole to an immigration agreement.
9 days ago
Expert skateboarder Di'Orr Greenwood, an artist born and raised in the Navajo Nation in Arizona and...
Associated Press

Indigenous skateboard art featured on new stamps unveiled at Phoenix skate park

The Postal Service unveiled the “Art of the Skateboard" stamps at a Phoenix skate park, featuring designs from Indigenous artists.
9 days ago

Sponsored Articles

...
Day & Night Air Conditioning, Heating and Plumbing

Company looking for oldest air conditioner and wants to reward homeowner with new one

Does your air conditioner make weird noises or a burning smell when it starts? If so, you may be due for an AC unit replacement.
...
Day & Night Air Conditioning, Heating and Plumbing

Prep the plumbing in your home just in time for the holidays

With the holidays approaching, it's important to know when your home is in need of heating and plumbing updates before more guests start to come around.
(Photo via MLB's Arizona Fall League / Twitter)...
Arizona Fall League

Top prospects to watch at this year’s Arizona Fall League

One of the most exciting elements of the MLB offseason is the Arizona Fall League, which began its 30th season Monday.
Israel to allow Palestinians from West Bank to use airport