Article74 Magazine

 
Implications of the DOP and the Gaza-Jericho Agreement 

Based on the December 1993 Cairo accords between PLO representative Abu Mazen and Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, the Gaza-Jericho agreement signed on May 4, 1994 will lead to a new re-arrangements at the border crossings between Egypt and the autonomous Gaza Strip at Rafah, and between Jordan and the autonomous area of Jericho. 

What does it mean for persons LEAVING the country? 
1) Palestinian residents of the autonomous areas will, according to the recent Gaza-Jericho agreement, be issued a “Palestinian passport”. Although details have not yet been clarified, it appears that they will be able to leave and re-enter the country with this document, unless the Israeli security officer at the border objects to this. 
2) Palestinian residents of the rest of the Occupied Territories will continue to have to obtain Israeli exit permits, at least as long as their local civil administration remains in Israeli hands. 
3) Everybody, including Israelis, tourists in Israel, tourists in the autonomous area, Palestinians from the autonomous areas, and Palestinians from the rest of the Occupied Territories enter the border through the same electronic gate. Their luggage is moved to the Israeli section for electronic inspection. 
4) Israelis and tourists in Israel pass through the Israeli border control. “Suspicious” persons may be body-checked by Israeli security in a joining room. 
5) Palestinians and tourists in the autonomous areas proceed to the Palestinian border section. There, they are first body-checked by both an Israeli and a Palestinian border guard. Then they present their documents to the Palestinian border police officer who passes them to his Israeli supervisor sitting behind a colored window. This Israeli officer double-checks their documents (both Palestinian passports and Israeli exit permits) and runs them through the Israeli computer files. Finally persons pass to the Israeli section and exit through the joint gate to Jordan/Egypt. “Suspicious” persons may be body-checked solely by Israeli security in a special room in the Israeli section beside the joint exit. 

What does it mean for Palestinians wishing to ENTER the country? 
The Gaza-Jericho agreement did not yet clarify this question beyond what was stated in the DOP and has been negotiated since then. 
1) Every Palestinian who did not posses valid Israeli documents at the time of the signing of the DOP can enter only after his resident relatives obtain a visit permit for him/her. 
Residents of the autonomous areas can apply for visit permits for their relatives at the offices of the new Palestinian administration which will send the requests to the Israeli authorities for approval. In the case of the Gaza Strip, the new Israeli civil administration center will be located at Erez Checkpoint at the entrance to the Gaza Strip. In the case of Jericho, no details have been provided until now. 
Palestinian residents of the rest of the Occupied Territories will continue to apply for visit permits at the local Israeli civil administration of the Jerusalem Interior Ministry. 
2) Visit permits to the autonomous areas (Gaza, Jericho) are valid for these areas only. They do not automatically allow the visitor to enter the rest of the Occupied Territories or Israel. 
3) The new Palestinian administration can renew the permit of a visitor to the autonomous areas one time for three months, after which applications for renewal are handled by the Israeli authorities. If the Israeli authorities refuse to renew a visit permit, the new Palestinian authority is responsible for the execution of this decision, i.e. to make sure that the person leaves the country. 
4) The granting of residency rights in all areas (through family reunification or the re-instatement of “lost” IDs) remains at the discretion of the Israeli authorities. 
5) Changes in the quota and procedures for family reunification and “lost IDs”, as well as the return of the 1967 refugees, are subject to the negotiations in the special committees designed in the DOP. 
6) Palestinian police forces and the new administration returning to the autonomous areas are not part of the annual quota for family reunification (2,000). Their relatives - including even their children - however, are obliged to obtain Israeli visit permits through the usual procedure, and it seems that these persons are included in the annual quota!

 
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