PLC hears reports on Israel's maltreatment of Palestinian visitors from abroad

The Palestinian Legislative Council received reports on maltreatment of Palestinians who come from abroad to visit their relatives in the Palestinian areas, especially in the Gaza Strip.

Council speaker Ahmed Qurei, who headed a special committee that investigated the conditions on Karame crossing point (Allenby Bridge), said that dozens of Palestinian visitors receive bad treatment every day as they cross the bridge. He noted that many of them, especially those arriving from the Arab Gulf states, are denied entry and ordered to return. "Those who are lucky to cross are forced to wait in the burning sun for hours until they are finally allowed to cross," said Qurei, also known as Abu Ala'. The report said that Israel considers every Palestinian a suspect unless proven otherwise.

According to the Oslo Accords, Israel is in charge of security checks at all crossing points into the Palestinian controlled areas. A special set of arrangements and regulations were agreed upon in the accords, which were supposed to enable the Palestinians to handle crossing matters on those points alongside the Israelis.

But the Palestinians argue that the lack of cooperation between the two sides and the tough policy the Israeli government adopts against the accords have made crossings by visiting Palestinians from abroad into the Palestinian areas extremely difficult.