Israel Cuts Allenby Crossing, Stranding Palestinians

In a recent Middle East Eye report, footage from the Allenby Crossing captures the daily reality of Palestinians waiting under the sun as Israeli authorities enforce sharply reduced operating hours at the sole exit point from the occupied West Bank.

Restricted Hours Disrupt Daily Crossings

The Allenby Crossing, known also as the King Hussein Bridge or Al-Karameh Crossing, serves as the only land route connecting the occupied West Bank to Jordan and the wider world. Israeli authorities have limited its operation to 8:00 AM through 1:30 PM, a total of five and a half hours each day. The crossing closes even earlier on Fridays and remains shut entirely on Saturdays.

Before these cuts, the facility operated from 8:00 AM to 11:00 PM on most weekdays. A 24-hour schedule had been discussed in earlier diplomatic packages but was never put into practice and was later reversed. In 2025 alone, 1.5 million Palestinians passed through this single checkpoint, underscoring its central role in travel for work, family visits, education, and medical treatment.

Stranded Travelers Face Extreme Conditions

With the shortened schedule, hundreds of people now find themselves unable to complete their journeys on any given day. Elderly passengers, families traveling with young children, and patients requiring medical care in Jordan are among those left waiting on either side of the border.

Temperatures in the Jordan Valley frequently exceed 40 degrees Celsius. Travelers report standing for hours without adequate shelter or water once the gates close. The departure tax of 158 shekels, paid to the Israeli Ministry of Interior, adds a further financial burden for those who manage to cross.

Human Cost of Movement Controls

Palestinians describe the restrictions as an extension of long-standing limits on freedom of movement. A patient scheduled for treatment in Jordan may miss an appointment because the crossing closes before their documents are processed. Students returning from universities abroad can be forced to wait overnight in exposed areas.

These outcomes affect daily life across the West Bank. Families separated by the border lose opportunities for regular contact. Workers who rely on Jordanian employment face lost wages when they cannot return on time. The cumulative effect is felt most acutely by those already living under economic strain.

Official Responses and Prior Closures

Palestinian Authority official Hussein al-Sheikh has publicly condemned the latest reductions, calling them unjustified obstacles to normal movement. Jordan’s interior ministry has also expressed concern over the humanitarian consequences for travelers and border communities.

In September 2025, the crossing was shut completely for a period, further illustrating how access can be suspended without advance notice. Such measures form part of a wider system of checkpoints and permit requirements that human rights organizations have characterized as collective punishment affecting the entire population.

World Cup Contrast Highlights Ongoing Restrictions

June 12, 2026, marks the opening of the FIFA World Cup hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. While global attention focuses on international travel and celebration, Palestinians remain subject to the same narrow window at Allenby Crossing. Emergency medical cases and family emergencies continue to be processed only within the five-and-a-half-hour daily limit.

The contrast between worldwide mobility and the fixed constraints at this single crossing point draws renewed attention to the practical barriers that shape Palestinian life under occupation. Coordination between Israeli, Jordanian, and Palestinian Authority officials has not produced an expansion of hours despite repeated appeals.

Looking Ahead Under Current Policies

Without changes to the schedule, the pattern of stranded travelers is expected to persist through the summer months when heat exposure intensifies. Palestinian communities on both sides of the river continue to document cases and press for restoration of longer operating times.

The Allenby Crossing remains the only official route out of the West Bank for the majority of residents. Its current hours directly determine who can leave for medical care, who can return from abroad, and who must wait another day under difficult conditions.