Palestinian Territories

From MaxTravelz

The Palestinian Territories include parts of the West Bank (of the Jordan River) and the Gaza Strip. With significant parts of the Territories under Israeli occupation since 1967, their Final Status is still in dispute and remains the subject of ongoing and future negotiation. The Palestinian National Authority (PNA or PA) is the semi-autonomous state institution (created in agreement with Israel and the United Nations) nominally governing the bulk of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip (which it calls "the Palestinian Territories"). The stated outcome of negotiations and Final Status talks is currently regarded as the eventual creation of a new, sovereign state - to be called simply Palestine.

Contents 1 Regions 2 Cities 2.1 Gaza Strip 2.2 West Bank 3 Cities 4 Other destinations 5 Understand 5.1 General 5.2 History 6 Get in 6.1 By plane 6.2 By train 6.3 By car 6.4 By bus 6.5 By boat 7 Get around 8 Talk 9 Buy 9.1 Costs 10 Eat 11 Drink 12 Sleep 13 Learn 14 Work 15 Stay safe 16 Stay healthy 17 Respect 18 Contact 19 Get Out

Regions

Cities

Gaza Strip

• Gaza City
• Rafah
• Khan Younis
• Beit Hanoun
• Beit Lahya
• Deir al-Balah

West Bank

• Bethlehem
• Hebron
• Jenin
• Jericho
• Nablus
• East Jerusalem
• Qalqilya
• Ramallah
• Al-Bireh
• Tulqarm

Cities

Other destinations

Understand

General

The Palestinian Territories, in a wider sense and together with Israel, are considered the Holy Land for three of the world's major religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Many sites of religious and archeological significance from the so-called Biblical periods are to be found within the current boundaries of the Palestinian National Authority, most notably Bethlehem, Hebron, Nablus and Jericho. The ownership of parts of Jerusalem, of course, although claimed by the Palestinian National Authority, remain disputed, with Israel claiming the city as its undivided national capital.

History

The current Palestinian Territories are a sub-division of pre-1948, British Mandatory Palestine. United Nations-projected Arab-held areas of the former Mandate were greatly reduced after the 1948-1949 Israel War of Independence, when the embryonic state of Israel was first attacked by its Arab neighbours, then successfully defeated their armies, leading to a re-drawing of the internationally-recognised borders. Of course, these hostilities were accompanied by much bloodshed and displacement on both sides, much of the focus being on Palestinian refugees who fled in large numbers to neighbouring Arab countries, to Gaza and to the West Bank. Palestinian autonomy was subsequently further reduced with the illegal annexation of the West Bank by Jordan in 1950 and Egypt's continuing hold on the Gaza Strip.

Get in

By plane

By train

By car

By bus

By boat

Get around

Talk

Buy

Currency: Shekels, though US dollars seem to be widely accepted, especially at tourst shops (Jericho and Bethlehem, for example).

Costs

Eat

Drink

Sleep

Learn

Work

Stay safe

Because of ongoing conflict in this area of the world, travellers should take notice of travel advisories issued by various embassies before undertaking travel here. Security concerns result in travel between Israel and the Palestinian Territories being tightly controlled on occasions. Travellers should ensure that their travel documentation is entirely in order and should monitor local news channels in case the security situation changes suddenly.

Women should wear a veil if in Gaza when out and about, while not wearing a veil on the West Bank is generally okay.

A few hints for a successful trip:

1. Expect to hear gunfire at night. This is not necessarily fighting, but Palestinian factions tend to fire their weapons in the evening and at night for celebrations, noticeability, etc.
2. Always bring a COPY of your passport along with your original copy and hide the copy in your hotel room.
3. Show respect at places of worship - take off your shoes. Women shouldn't come into a mosque without a veil.
4. Consider hiring a local tour guide/translator who will also keep you out of trouble.
5. Beware of local water, including ice cubes - bottled is the way to go.
6. Common sense goes a long way.

Stay healthy

Respect

Contact

Get Out

Delays may occur at checkpoints unexpectedly, especially if there has been recent violence or political events. Sometimes it may be quicker to walk through a checkpoint on foot rather than on a vehicle, and then take a taxi to your destination once you get through.

It is highly advised to keep Palestinian flags, PA/PLO pamphlets, and similar articles out of plain sight when going through checkpoints: why cause unnecessary complications and delays for yourself?

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