Palestinian Territories Passport

The State of Palestine.

According to United Nations Resolution 181 of November 1947 on the partition of Palestine, the area of the Arab State established in Palestine was 11500 square kilometers. However, due to the opposition of the majority of Arab countries to the resolution at that time, the Arab state was unable to be established. During the First Middle East War in 1948, Israel occupied most of the Arab territories designated in Resolution 181. During the Third Middle East War in 1967, Israel occupied all Arab territories as stipulated in Resolution 181. In November 1988, the 19th special session of the Palestinian National Council declared the establishment of the State of Palestine, but its borders were not determined. After the 1991 Madrid Middle East Peace Conference, the Palestinian side reclaimed approximately 2500 square kilometers of land through negotiations with Israel.

【 Population 】 Approximately 14.8 million people, with 5.61 million in the Gaza Strip and West Bank (2024), and the rest being refugees and expatriates. Arabic is commonly used and the main belief is Islam.

In November 1988, the 19th special session of the Palestinian National Council adopted the Declaration of Independence, declaring Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Palestine. At present, the main government departments such as the Palestinian Presidential Palace are located in the West Bank city of Jerusalem.

Announcement of National Day: November 15th.

[Currency] Israeli New Shekel, 1 US dollar is approximately 3.7 New Shekel.

Geographically located in western Asia. The West Bank of the Jordan River is adjacent to Jordan to the east, with an area of 5884 square kilometers. The Gaza Strip borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west and covers an area of 365 square kilometers.

[Climate] Subtropical Mediterranean climate. Summer is hot and dry, with the hottest months being July and August, and temperatures reaching up to around 38 ℃. Winter is slightly cold, humid, and rainy, with an average temperature of 4-11 ℃, and the coldest month is January. The rainy season is from November to April of the following year.

Palestine, formerly known as Canaan, includes present-day Israel, Jordan, Gaza, and the West Bank of the Jordan River. Throughout history, both Jews and Arabs have resided here. Around 1000 BC, Jews established the State of Israel in Palestine, which was later conquered by Assyria, Babylon, Persia, ancient Greece, and the Roman Empire. Around the year 70 AD, a large-scale uprising broke out among the Jews to resist the atrocities of the Romans. They were brutally suppressed by the Roman army, expelled from Palestine, and scattered around the world. In the 7th century AD, the Arabs defeated the Eastern Roman Empire and occupied Palestine. Since the 16th century, Palestine has become a part of the Ottoman Empire. After World War I, it became a mandate territory of Britain. After the British occupation of Palestine, it was divided into two parts: East of the Jordan River, known as Outer Jordan, which is now the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan; West of the Jordan River is called Palestine, including present-day Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank of the Jordan River.

On November 29, 1947, the United Nations General Assembly passed Resolution 181, which established an Arab state and a Jewish state in the Palestinian territories. The Jews agreed to the resolution and declared the establishment of the State of Israel on May 14, 1948. The majority of Arab countries opposed and rejected the resolution, and declared war on Israel on May 15th, the day after its founding, marking the outbreak of the first Middle East War. By the time of the ceasefire, Israel had occupied most of the Arab territories designated in UN Resolution 181. On June 5, 1967, the Third Middle East War broke out, during which Israel occupied all Arab territories as stipulated in UN Resolution 181, as well as other Arab territories such as the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt and the Golan Heights in Syria.

On November 15, 1988, the 19th special session of the Palestinian National Council adopted the Declaration of Independence, declaring acceptance of General Assembly Resolution 181 and establishing the State of Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital. In May 1994, according to the agreement reached between Palestine and Israel, the Palestinian side implemented limited autonomy in Gaza, Jericho and other areas. After 1995, according to agreements signed between Israel and Palestine, the Palestinian controlled area gradually expanded, currently including parts of the West Bank and the entire Gaza Strip, with a total area of approximately 2500 square kilometers.

On May 12, 1994, the Palestinian National Authority was established and Arafat was elected as its chairman. In November 2004, Arafat passed away due to illness. Abbas took over as the Chairman of the Palestinian Authority Executive Committee and was elected as the President of the Palestinian National Authority in January 2005. In November 2008, he was elected as the President of the State of Palestine and has been in office ever since.

President Mahmoud Abbas was elected on November 23, 2008.

In May 1994, the Palestinian National Authority was established in accordance with the resolution of the Palestinian Liberation Organization as a temporary and transitional authority. In January 2013, Palestinian President Abbas signed an order to unify the use of the term "Palestinian National Authority" in regulations, official documents, certificates, etc. to "State of Palestine". However, the international community still uses the term 'Palestinian National Authority'. At present, the Prime Minister of the Palestinian government is Mohammad Mustafa, who will assume the position in March 2024.

Palestine is divided into two parts: the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. According to the map drawn by the Palestinian Plan and the Ministry of International Cooperation in October 1997, the West Bank is divided into 8 provinces, and the Gaza Strip is divided into 5 provinces.

The main body of the Palestinian judiciary is the courts at all levels, currently consisting of one Supreme Court, 18 Mediation Courts, eight Primary Courts, one Court of Appeal, one Criminal Court, and two Central Courts. The main body of the Pakistani procuratorial institution is the procuratorates at all levels. Currently, there is one Supreme Procuratorate, consisting of the Chief Prosecutor, several Deputy Chief Prosecutors, and prosecutors. It has five prosecution branches and ten general prosecution departments.

The economy is mainly based on agriculture, with other industries including construction, processing, handicrafts, commerce, and services. The Palestinian economy heavily relies on foreign aid, and its economic development is constrained by Israel. The ongoing Israeli Palestinian conflict has severely restricted the development of the Palestinian economy. The main economic data are as follows:

Main economic figures for 2023:

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of 17.396 billion US dollars

Gross Domestic Product Growth Rate -5.5%

The per capita gross domestic product is about 3249 US dollars

The industrial level is very low and the scale is small, mainly in the processing industry, such as plastics, rubber, chemicals, food, stone, pharmaceuticals, papermaking, printing, construction, textiles, clothing, furniture, etc.

Agriculture has distinct four seasons and abundant agricultural products, making it the backbone of the Pakistani economy. Fruits, vegetables, and olives (oil) are an important part of foreign trade exports, accounting for 25% of exported products. The arable land area is 166000 hectares. The labor force engaged in agriculture accounts for about 20% of the total labor force. According to data from the Food and Agriculture Organization in August 2024, 67.6% of farmland in the Gaza Strip has been destroyed due to the new round of Israeli Palestinian conflict.

【 Tourism 】 The climate is pleasant and there are a large number of historical and cultural relics, including the Old City of Jerusalem, Bethlehem Christmas Church, Jericho Old City, etc., with abundant tourism resources.

Transportation mainly consists of highways, with 5146.9 kilometers of various types of roads. After 2000, due to the ongoing Israeli Palestinian conflict, transportation construction in Palestine came to a standstill. After 2009, infrastructure construction such as roads has been restored and developed to a certain extent.

The Palestinian Monetary Authority (PMA) was established at the end of 1994. Palestine has not yet issued its own currency, and the local currency is the Israeli new shekel (NIS).

International aid is one of the main sources of income for the Palestinian government. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNWRA) is the primary international aid agency to Palestine, with an average annual total expenditure of approximately $1.2 to $1.3 billion.

According to the Oslo Accords, the Palestinian Authority can establish a police force to ensure public order and internal security in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. At present, the Pakistani police force has about 60000 personnel, including the National Security Forces, the General Intelligence Agency, the Armed Forces of the Ministry of Interior, and the Presidential Guard.

Due to the impact of the Israeli Palestinian conflict, the overall education situation in Pakistan is lagging behind. The main universities include Birzeit University, Success University, Holy City University, Bethlehem University, etc.

The main newspapers and magazines include Al Quds, Al Ayyam, Al Hayat Al Jadida, and others. The official radio station is "Voice of Palestine" and the official television station is "Palestinian Television", both of which are affiliated with the "Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation".

On November 15, 1988, the State of Palestine was declared and has now been officially recognized by 147 countries. On December 15, 1988, Palestine became an observer entity of the United Nations. On November 29, 2012, the 67th session of the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution officially granting Palestine observer state status at the United Nations. On May 10, 2024, the tenth emergency special session of the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution with 143 votes in favor, 9 votes against, and 25 abstentions, determining that the State of Palestine meets the qualifications for membership in the United Nations as stipulated in the Charter and should be admitted as a member of the United Nations.

Palestine pursues an independent foreign policy, with nation building as the cornerstone of its foreign policy. It advocates for peace negotiations with Israel based on international law, relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, the Arab Peace Initiative, etc., to end Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory and establish an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

After the 1991 Madrid Middle East Peace Conference, Palestine negotiated and signed the "Declaration of Principles on Interim Self Government Arrangements" (also known as the "Oslo Accords"), the "Gaza and Jericho Advance Autonomy Agreement", and the "Agreement to Expand Palestinian Autonomy in the West Bank" with Israel, gradually recovering some territories and achieving limited autonomy in some areas of the West Bank and the entire Gaza Strip. However, due to differences in positions between Israel and Palestine, as well as changes in the international and regional political climate, substantial progress in the Israeli Palestinian peace talks has not been made since the late 1990s. In 2000, the Palestinian people launched the second "Great Uprising", and since then, peace talks have been repeatedly restarted and interrupted. At the end of April 2014, the Israeli Palestinian peace talks were once again deadlocked and have not been restarted since then.

On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a military operation codenamed "Al Aqsa Floods" against Israel, which immediately declared a state of war and launched an operation codenamed "Iron Sword" against Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip. The Gaza conflict continues to escalate, resulting in approximately 150000 casualties in Palestine.