The leading Palestinian official in charge of relations with the Israelis said that press reports in Israel about an offer to allow Palestinians to use an Israeli airport are untrue.
Hussein Sheikh, secretary of the PLO’s Executive Committee and head of the Civil Affairs Ministry, said that no one made the offer. Israel’s Makan Public Service radio claimed that Defense Minister Benny Gantz had offered to allow Palestinians to use Ramon airport near Eilat on the condition that Palestinians withdraw their charge of war crimes at the International Criminal Court. In an answer to a question by Al-Monitor about the offer that Gantz reportedly made, Sheikh gave a short but clear answer: “Not true. Nothing was offered.”
The story of the alleged Israeli offer was distributed on the eve of the visit by US President Joe Biden and as part of the goodwill gestures that Israel was trying to offer to the Palestinians. The airport is 12 miles north of Israel’s southernmost town of Eilat. It would take a journey of 400 kilometers (248.5 miles) for a Palestinian from Ramallah to get to the airport at a cost of at least 600 Israeli shekels ($174).
The issue of travel has been among the most troubling issues facing Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Gazans under siege had to travel to Egypt first, a journey that often takes two full days and includes tens of waits at Egyptian checkpoints because of the volatile security situation in the Sinai Peninsula.
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