GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — An Egyptian travel agency announced on its Facebook page that it started offering June 16 a paid VIP travel service for Gaza residents through the Rafah border crossing.
An official Palestinian source speaking to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity said the VIP service is offered through a newly established VIP lounge on the Egyptian side of the crossing. The Hala Consulting and Tourism Services agency has two branches, one in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, and the other one in Cairo. According to the source, both branches opened a month ago.
The source said that on June 12 the agency started accepting applications from Palestinians wishing to travel through the Rafah crossing. The agency’s new service offers Palestinians full travel assistance and transfer from the Gaza Strip to Cairo and vice versa, without any wait times at the border or any other obstacles.
The source did not specify the fee the agency charges for this service, but estimated that it would be roughly $1,200 per person for the VIP service, which includes the cost of the transit visa and the transport fare. Travelers normally pay about $50-$70 per person to travel to Cairo.
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