The Palestinian chamber of commerce in the West Bank province of Jenin has accused the Israeli occupation authority (IOA) of deliberately causing direct damage to the province’s economic activity during the holy month of Ramadan by not opening al-Jalamah crossing at night hours as usual.
In a statement the chamber of commerce said that the IOA backtracked on its decision to allow the Palestinians living in Israel (the 1948 occupied lands) to enter the province during night hours and thus deprived Jenin of any chance during the holy month to boost its commercial and tourist position.
Head of the chamber Ammar Abu Baker stated that Israel’s night-time closure of the crossing is part of its systematic restrictions on the movement of Palestinian citizens and traders between Jenin and the 1948 occupied territory.
Abu Baker said that such measure would cause economic losses for the Palestinians and deprive thousands of Palestinian families in Jenin and the 1948 occupied territory of earning their livelihood and networking with each other during the holy month.
