Israel closes only West Bank-Jordan border crossing

Israel has ordered the closure of the King Hussein Bridge border crossing between the occupied West Bank and Jordan, according to Palestinian and Jordanian authorities.

The move effectively traps millions of Palestinian residents in the West Bank, as the vast majority of them do not have permission to leave the area by other crossings.

A representative of the Israeli authority overseeing the Allenby crossing said that it would be closed from Wednesday morning "at the direction of the political leadership." The statement did not provide any further reason for the closure.

Nazmi Muhanna, head of the Palestinian General Authority for Borders and Crossings, said Israel had informed the agency of its decision, which comes into effect on Wednesday.

Israel had only partially reopened the crossing days ago, following an attack in the area that killed two Israelis last week. As well as entry and exit from the West Bank, the crossing is used to transport aid destined for Gaza.

The Israeli authorities gave no explanation for the closure. But the announcement came hours after France joined a flurry of western countries in formally recognising a Palestinian state, drawing sharp rebuke from Israel.

The Facebook account for Jordan's public security authority said passenger and cargo crossings would be closed “until further notice”.

This crossing is the only route Palestinians can use to travel internationally. It is also used by diplomats and foreigners as an alternative to Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport.

The King Hussein Bridge crossing is the only route Palestinians can use to travel internationally. Reuters

Palestinians in the West Bank have lived under Israeli military occupation since 1967. There have been growing calls from some Israeli politicians to annex the territory, drawing alarm from Arab countries.

Those fears have been heightened by Israel's plans for new settlements in an ultra-sensitive area east of Jerusalem known as E1. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has been open about saying that this would "bury" the idea of a Palestinian state.

Beyond that, Israeli troops regularly use force in the West Bank in what are typically described as counter-terrorism operations. Attacks by Israeli settlers have also increased though are rarely punished by the authorities.

The crossing's closure comes shortly after a number of western nations recognised a Palestinian state − to which Israel has vowed a harsh response.

Israeli media reported that the closure order came from the country’s political leadership. Officials managing the crossing “have not yet received an explanation for the closure”, said Itay Blumenthal, a military correspondent for Channel 11.

Palestinian politician Mustafa Barghouti said the decision “practically imprisons the whole Palestinian population in the West Bank”.

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Navdeep Suri, India's Ambassador to the UAE

There has been a longstanding need from the Indian community to have a religious premises where they can practise their beliefs. Currently there is a very, very small temple in Bur Dubai and the community has outgrown this. So this will be a major temple and open to all denominations and a place should reflect India’s diversity.

It fits so well into the UAE’s own commitment to tolerance and pluralism and coming in the year of tolerance gives it that extra dimension.

What we will see on April 20 is the foundation ceremony and we expect a pretty broad cross section of the Indian community to be present, both from the UAE and abroad. The Hindu group that is building the temple will have their holiest leader attending – and we expect very senior representation from the leadership of the UAE.

When the designs were taken to the leadership, there were two clear options. There was a New Jersey model with a rectangular structure with the temple recessed inside so it was not too visible from the outside and another was the Neasden temple in London with the spires in its classical shape. And they said: look we said we wanted a temple so it should look like a temple. So this should be a classical style temple in all its glory.

It is beautifully located - 30 minutes outside of Abu Dhabi and barely 45 minutes to Dubai so it serves the needs of both communities.

This is going to be the big temple where I expect people to come from across the country at major festivals and occasions.

It is hugely important – it will take a couple of years to complete given the scale. It is going to be remarkable and will contribute something not just to the landscape in terms of visual architecture but also to the ethos. Here will be a real representation of UAE’s pluralism.

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