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Washington Discontent with Tentative System to Open 24-hour Crossings between West Bank, Jordan

An Israeli sign points to the crossing of the King Hussein Bridge (Allenby).
An Israeli sign points to the crossing of the King Hussein Bridge (Allenby).
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Washington Discontent with Tentative System to Open 24-hour Crossings between West Bank, Jordan

An Israeli sign points to the crossing of the King Hussein Bridge (Allenby).
An Israeli sign points to the crossing of the King Hussein Bridge (Allenby).

Israel has launched a pilot program to open the crossings between the West Bank and Jordan around the clock, after months of pressure from the US administration, which viewed the matter as a positive initiative towards the Palestinians in the absence of a political horizon.

However, Washington voiced discontent with the Israeli plan, as it had expected the pilot program to extend for weeks or months.

Spokespersons for the Ministry of Transport and the Airports Authority told The Times of Israel that a trial period has been launched to test the ability of the Allenby Bridge crossing between the West Bank and Jordan to operate around the clock. The launch of the program was postponed several times, which had angered the US administration.

The United States announced during the summer that the Allenby Bridge (King Hussein) crossing would be open 24 hours a day throughout September, so that West Bank Palestinians could travel abroad through Jordan. But that did not happen, as the Israeli authorities informed the Americans that they did not have enough staff to meet the schedule.

The idea of a trial program was proposed instead, and the Ministry of Transportation announced that it would be launched on October 24. However, the head of the Airports Authority objected to presenting the plan in the middle of an election campaign. Thus, the Directorate of the Airports Authority met at a later time and decided to go ahead with the plan for one week.

The Director-General of the General Administration of Palestinian Borders and Crossings, Nazmi Muhanna, confirmed on Monday the change of working hours at Al-Karamah border point, which is the first crossing that leads to the Allenby Bridge.

In a statement, Muhanna said that Al-Karamah crossing would operate 24 hours a day for one week, from Sunday morning until Friday at 12:30 pm.

The Americans expressed their dissatisfaction with the plan. A senior US official said that the United States expected the trial program to extend over several weeks or months at least.

The US initiative came in light of a stifling crisis that Palestinians usually encounter during the summer period, as they have to pass through three crossings to exit the Palestinian territories.

The Palestinians are forced to pass through the Palestinian Karama Crossing and stamp their passports, then pay a tax before they move in buses to the Israeli Allenby Crossing, to be subjected to a second inspection and then via buses to King Hussein Bridge, for a third inspection before entering Jordan. As for those who will travel outside Jordan, they will also have to head to Queen Alia Airport.

The journey takes several hours, with long queues and high costs for departure and entry taxes, travel allowance and baggage transfer.

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Arab World

Did Hamas Threaten Israel with Another October 7 Attack?

Palestinians fill plastic bottles with water at a tent camp in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Palestinians fill plastic bottles with water at a tent camp in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
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Did Hamas Threaten Israel with Another October 7 Attack?

Palestinians fill plastic bottles with water at a tent camp in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Palestinians fill plastic bottles with water at a tent camp in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Israeli newspapers have repeatedly reported a similar account claiming that Hamas warned Israel it would carry out another attack on the scale of October 7, 2023, and that the warning was conveyed through UN Middle East envoy Ramiz Alakbarov during his visit to the Gaza Strip last week, when he allegedly met senior Hamas leaders.

The Israeli newspapers, particularly Yedioth Ahronoth, based their reports on information circulated by Israel's Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), which reportedly sent an urgent warning to the country's political and military leadership.

The alleged threat was linked to Israeli military operations in Gaza, where the army continues to occupy more than half the territory a year after the ceasefire was announced.

Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem denied in a brief statement distributed to journalists in Gaza that the movement had threatened to carry out another attack similar to October 7.

He reaffirmed Hamas's commitment to the ceasefire agreement and called on mediators to intervene to stop Israeli violations against Palestinians and ensure the agreement's implementation.

Qassem also warned against accepting Israeli allegations and exploiting them for electoral purposes.

He did not address reports that the UN official had met Hamas leaders.

Asharq Al-Awsat sought further comment from the Hamas spokesperson, but he did not respond to the correspondent's questions.

Late Thursday evening, Hamas issued an official statement denying that it had threatened any attacks, without confirming or denying whether a meeting with the UN official had taken place.

The published itinerary for Alakbarov's two-day visit to the Gaza Strip on October 11 and 12 made no reference to meetings with Hamas officials.

According to the schedule posted on the United Nations website, his visit focused on assessing humanitarian conditions at several locations, including displacement centers, affected families, winter preparedness efforts and female-headed households.

The itinerary also listed a meeting with humanitarian partners at a UNRWA facility in Gaza City to discuss humanitarian responses and gaps in assistance.

An official from Alakbarov's office told Asharq Al-Awsat that the UN envoy had not met any Hamas officials during his latest visit.

However, Asharq Al-Awsat learned from a local UN employee that Alakbarov visited Al-Shifa Medical Complex on Sunday, October 11, and met hospital and health officials to assess conditions at medical facilities.

That visit was not mentioned in the published itinerary, and Alakbarov's office neither confirmed nor denied it.

The local official also said the UN delegation came under Israeli shellfire while visiting the Zarqa area northeast of Gaza City, near the Yellow Line.

No injuries were reported, and the delegation quickly left the area.

Asharq Al-Awsat attempted to contact Mohammed Abu Salmiya, director of Al-Shifa Medical Complex, but he did not answer the calls. Officials from Gaza's Government Media Office were also unreachable.

UN officials routinely visit hospitals, displacement centers and other facilities to assess humanitarian conditions. Many have made such visits without meeting Hamas officials, particularly amid the precarious security situation and continuing pursuit and assassination of Hamas members in Gaza.

Observers believe the Israeli account is primarily motivated by electoral considerations, particularly amid repeated statements by Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, about alleged Hamas plans to carry out attacks similar to October 7.

Both officials have emphasized that Israel would respond forcefully to any such attack, in statements seen as attempts to influence the elections. Similar warnings have also been made concerning Iran and Hezbollah.

However, Israeli security sources told Haaretz that, contrary to claims made by Netanyahu and Katz in recent days, security agencies had not detected intensive efforts by any party to launch attacks against Israel with the aim of influencing the elections.

Israeli military Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, meanwhile, limited his remarks to affirming that the armed forces were prepared to deal with any attempts at external interference in the elections.

He said the military would undertake defensive and offensive operations should any such scenario materialize.

Arab World

Far-right Israeli Minister Orders Buildings Demolished in West Bank after Attack

File: Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich reviews the 'E1' settlement map in the West Bank (Archival - AFP)
File: Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich reviews the 'E1' settlement map in the West Bank (Archival - AFP)
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Far-right Israeli Minister Orders Buildings Demolished in West Bank after Attack

File: Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich reviews the 'E1' settlement map in the West Bank (Archival - AFP)
File: Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich reviews the 'E1' settlement map in the West Bank (Archival - AFP)

Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said he had ordered the demolition of buildings near a shooting attack in the occupied West Bank that wounded at least five people on Friday.

"Following the attack, I have ordered the immediate demolition of a wide row of illegal Arab structures adjacent to the attack site," he said. "The order will be carried out within the next hour and will take place throughout the afternoon hours."

Arab World

International Meeting Rules Out Military Solution to Sudan War

A view of the consultative meeting on coordinating peace initiatives and efforts in Sudan on October 21, 2026 (Saudi Foreign Ministry). 
A view of the consultative meeting on coordinating peace initiatives and efforts in Sudan on October 21, 2026 (Saudi Foreign Ministry). 
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International Meeting Rules Out Military Solution to Sudan War

A view of the consultative meeting on coordinating peace initiatives and efforts in Sudan on October 21, 2026 (Saudi Foreign Ministry). 
A view of the consultative meeting on coordinating peace initiatives and efforts in Sudan on October 21, 2026 (Saudi Foreign Ministry). 

International representatives meeting in Geneva have declared that there is no military solution to Sudan’s war, calling for an urgent humanitarian truce, an end to foreign interference and renewed efforts toward a political settlement.

The appeal came at the close of UN-organized Sixth Consultative Meeting on Enhancing Coordination of Peace Initiatives and Efforts in Sudan where the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been fighting since April 2023.

In a final statement, participants warned that civilians were paying a devastating price for the warring parties’ pursuit of battlefield gains. They urged both sides to de-escalate and engage seriously in negotiations that could lead to a permanent ceasefire.

The sixth consultative meeting, which concluded Wednesday evening, was co-chaired by Swiss State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Alexandre Fasel and UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Sudan Pekka Haavisto.

Representatives of 22 countries attended, including the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Britain, France, China, Russia and Sudan’s neighbors, alongside regional and international organizations such as the African Union, European Union and Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

Confidence-building measures

Haavisto outlined UN efforts to introduce confidence-building measures that both warring parties might accept, including exchanges of prisoners of war and detainees, both military and civilian, and arrangements to allow students to sit examinations.

“We think that there are issues that should unite actually both parties of the conflict,” he said, describing such initiatives as modest first steps compared with the devastation caused by the war.

The meeting stressed that a humanitarian truce must pave the way for a lasting ceasefire, with de-escalation efforts bringing tangible improvements on the ground.

After three and a half years of fighting, participants dismissed the pursuit of military gains as a solution, warning that civilians were bearing the devastating cost of continued hostilities.

They called for full compliance with international humanitarian law and the protection of civilian facilities, particularly infrastructure essential to basic services.

States and other actors were urged to stop fueling the conflict by supplying mercenaries, military equipment, drones or financing.

Such support, the statement warned, would cause further casualties and increase the risk of Sudan’s fragmentation. It did not identify any countries or organizations responsible for providing assistance to the warring parties.

Participants reaffirmed their commitment to Sudan’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, as well as the preservation of state institutions.

They rejected the creation of parallel governments, institutions or governing structures and called for concrete measures to prevent any steps that could undermine the country’s unity.

Push for an inclusive political settlement

The Geneva talks emphasized that lasting peace would require a credible, inclusive Sudanese political process reflecting the aspirations of the population.

Such negotiations should allow meaningful participation by political and civilian groups, including women and young people, and lead to an agreed transition toward sustainable peace and democratic governance.

Participants backed mediation efforts by the Quad — the United States, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt — and the Quintet, comprising the African Union, European Union, IGAD, Arab League and United Nations.

They stressed that any political process must be transparent, credible, and free from coercion.

The meeting also expressed grave concern over continuing hostilities, reports of atrocities and the increasing use of drones.

Millions of Sudanese face severe food shortages, while restrictions on humanitarian access and adverse weather conditions have heightened the threat of famine.

The conflict’s humanitarian, social and economic repercussions are also being felt across neighboring countries, raising fears of violence spreading beyond Sudan’s borders with potentially catastrophic consequences.

Regional and international coordination

The Geneva consultations follow earlier meetings in Cairo, Djibouti, Nouakchott and Brussels, the most recent held in the Egyptian capital on January 14.

The initiative seeks to bring regional and international diplomatic efforts into closer alignment as Sudan’s humanitarian catastrophe deepens.

Aid organizations estimate that more than 200,000 people have been killed and over 13 million displaced since the war began, leaving the country at the center of the world’s largest hunger and displacement crisis.

Participants also reaffirmed their commitment to the principles adopted at the ministerial conference on Sudan in Berlin last April and the spirit of the May 2023 Jeddah Declaration, under which the army and RSF pledged to protect civilians and facilitate humanitarian access.