Travel to Palestinian National Authority

Flying to Palestinian National Authority

The national airline, Palestinian Airlines (www.palairlines.com), operates out of El Arish International Airport, Egypt.

Yasser Arafat International Airport has not been in use since shortly after the 2001 uprising when Israel bombed the radar station and tore up the runway; it currently lies in ruins. Visitors should fly to Ben Gurion International Airport, 50km (31 miles) west of Jerusalem in Israel, and travel overland from there.

Airport Guides

Travelling to Palestinian National Authority by Rail

Driving to Palestinian National Authority

A number of border crossings, manned by the Israeli Defence Force (IDF), are used to enter the West Bank: from Israel, the main entry point north of Jerusalem is Qalandia, to the south is Gilo, the nearest entry point to Bethlehem; from Jordan the main crossing is Allenby Bridge. The Erez border crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip is tightly controlled by the IDF and is closed intermittently.

The Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt run by the Palestinian Authority. It is closed for most of the time and currently only holders of Palestinian ID cards or Egyptian passports are allowed through when it is open, although it may be possible to obtain permission to cross in advance.

Passengers coming from Israel or Jerusalem are advised to find an Arab driver with a yellow number plate car or move to a Palestinian car at check points separating Israel and Jerusalem from the Palestinian territories.

Getting to Palestinian National Authority by boat