Jerusalem - A "safe-passage" route across Israel, connecting Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, is to open next week, Israeli and Palestinian officials said yesterday at a signing ceremony marking final agreement on the issue, David Horovitz reports. The route will run from the Erez border, at the northern tip of the Gaza Strip, across 28 miles of Israeli territory to a crossing point into the West Bank near Hebron.
In principle, the corridor will be open to all Palestinians, providing them with the long-denied opportunity to cross relatively freely between Gaza and the West Bank. However, Palestinians whom Israel considers security risks will not be allowed to drive in their own vehicles; instead, they will travel on Israeli-escorted buses that will run twice a week.