West Bank & Gaza

Comprising a hilly area of about 5,800 square kilometers on the west bank of the Jordan River, the West Bank is bordered to the north by the fertile Marj Ibn 'Amer Plain in the center of Galilee, by the Naqab (Negev) desert in the south, and by an arbitrary 1949 armistice line to the west. This zone came under Transjordanian control following the war of 1948; when King Abdullah annexed the West Bank to Transjordan in early 1950's, his kingdom was renamed Jordan. The West Bank remained under Jordanian control until it was occupied by Israel in the June war of 1967 and has been under military administration until 1993 when Israel and the Palestinians signed the Oslo Accords. According to the terms of this agreement, Israel is supposed to withdraw its forces from the West Bank and Gaza by May 1999. The Palestinian National Authority assumed control of the main populated areas in 1995. The West Bank is divided into eight districts namely: Bethlehem , Hebron , Jenin, Jericho , Jerusalem , Nablus , Ramallah and Tulkarem. The present size of the Palestinian population of the West Bank is around 1,950,000 inhabitants including East-Jerusalem.

The Gaza Strip is a narrow area of land along the eastern Mediterranean Sea . It is about 42 kms. long and 8 kms. wide. It too, like the West Bank , was part of the British Mandate from 1920 to 1948. Egypt controlled the Strip from 1948 to 1967 when it passed to the Israeli control after the Arab-Israeli war. It is densely populated with 1,050,000 people and its area is 365 km2.

The official language of Palestine is Arabic. English is widely spoken, especially in the cities, and many Palestinians have traveled or have been educated abroad. French, German, Italian and Spanish are also spoken, but to a lesser extent. Palestine has a developing economy and agriculture is the primary economic activity of the region. Chief products include citrus and other fruits, as well as olives and cereals; sheep and goats are the principal livestock.

Palestine is not only a Holy Place for the three monotheistic religions, but also a country in which one finds culture, history and relaxation.You can experience Palestinian folklore by visiting many museums and folk centers. You can also stay with families to experience the life style of the Palestinians and enjoy their hospitality. Palestine cities and towns are filled with historic and religious sites. Visitors enjoy the lovely weather throughout the spring and summer seasons.