RAMALLAH, West Bank — There was an unprecedented travel crisis at the King Hussein (Allenby) Bridge during the month of July, when the number of travelers coming to and from the West Bank reached 247,000, according to the Palestinian Authority’s General Administration of Crossings and Borders.
The high traffic on the border crossing between the West Bank and Jordan prompted Mohammed al-Hassan, 44, to take advantage of the VIP service at the crossing despite its exorbitant cost of $120-$150 per person. On July 24, Hassan was coming from the United Arab Emirates to the West Bank to spend his annual leave with his wife and three children.