RECENT GAZA CP INTEL

by **Ted-Pencry** 16/12/2012, 20:23

Recent return from Gaza brings me to share a rough guide on "How to enter Gaza/Palestine" via Egypt if you are assigned to do Close Protection work as a Foreign National.

It's not an easy process to enter Gaza/Palestine.

It's not easy to get out of Egypt either with the intention to enter Gaza, they cap numbers as they like, when they like, and how they like.

I know, it sounds ridiculous but that is just one of those things so prepare for it and hope for the best.

Generally the border crossing is open five days a week but this can change in minutes, so keep abreast of the situation at the crossing via phone calls to it, internet, Intel.

You cannot just arrive at the Rafah border and hope to be given access or a visa as they do not allow entry for tourism per se to Gaza and Egypt won't let you out at Rafah border for that purpose or most other purposes.

So, a well thought out plan and hopefully some form of authority document/s may gain you access apart from other requirements like having someone from Gaza vouch for you and collect you from the border crossing at Rafah, etc.

Don't think you can arrive in a four wheel drive and drive through, it's not going to happen and believe me, neither the Egyptians or the Palestinians will be bothered by ranting and raving as they are constantly bombarded all day every day with this type of behaviour.

Just get your act together and be prepared to spend many hours going through the process which operates at a snail's pace. By the way, Bakshish comes in handy to speed up the process and is a normal part of life in this region, in fact a pre requisite and expected.

1. The first thing you will need to do is, build/create a pretext/legend/contact with an organisation that is within Gaza/Palestine who is prepared to be your host. This host will need to provide you with a letter personally inviting you to Gaza with the period of stay clearly incorporated. For PRESS purposes, they will need to arrange for you as a Producer or alike.

2. Once you have that letter, you can apply to the Egyptian Embassy where you are and hope to obtain their letter of permission to allow you to leave the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing to Gaza. In most cases it takes a few weeks, in some a few days but it can also help if you know someone....

3. With both physical letters of authority in your hands you can go ahead and book a flight to Cairo, Egypt. Without these letters of authority, relax, stay at home because you are not going to make it....unless you have a load of cash to donate and like acting as a tunnel rat.

4. To enter Egypt will cost you US$ 15 in Cairo, to exit at Rafah US$ 15 (Egyptian £ 105) on exit and then £20 for the bus ride into Palestine of 500 yards, £5 for loading your luggage on a trailer and driving the bus. If someone carries your luggage or pushes a trolley with it, well, another bunch of cash.

5. On arrival at Egypt's side of the border, which is best to be there by 9am and considering it takes 5.5 hours from Cairo with most drivers wanting to start at 3-4am, it is best to make that effort with an early start if you want to get through. It's also good to go early as you will need to pass through a number of police/military check points on route and they can be difficult but at those hours most are a sleep on the job except when you cross the Suez Canal bridge. An impressive bridge spanning miles.

6. At the border, stand in the queue like most people facing the gate on the right. Don't be alarmed when that gate opens and hordes of people just rush at it with no consideration for a queue, this is normal. Once you get in front of the gate, hand the two documents authorising you to cross and your passport to the guard and then find a seat under a tree and wait.....1 hour....when you see a group of people storm to the gate, do likewise and hope to get your letters and passport and be allowed to enter. Otherwise, wait some more until you get them and once you have them and they believe them, you will be allowed in. Just follow the people ahead of you. Always have copies safely in your possession.....

7. At the main building you will need to complete a non Egyptian exit form and hand it in at the passport control desk and then find a seat near enough to hear your name called out. Collect your passport and go to the visa purchase desk and pay Egyptian £ 105 then back to the passport control desk and wait till you are called. Here they place the exit visa on the visa of your entry in the passport, etc. Once your name is called, collect your passport and 2 letters of authority and proceed to the right and go down the hall to a whole in a wall and exchange US$ 15 for E£ 105 then across the hall to another and pay the E£105 at that desk. Then a further and pay E£ 20 for the bus.

8. So far so good, now, out the back door and walk across to a waiting bus and trailer, get your luggage on the trailer, pay the bus driver some bakshish and jump into the bus.....and wait.

9. Once the bus is full and the Egyptian authority feels like letting the bus go then you are on the way to Palestine but, then another Egyptian border official thinks it's time to check passports again at the final gate, so you wait. Ok, he is off so here you are now on your way just to stop in no man's land and wait. Ok, after some time the driver is told he can proceed so off you go and into Gaza.

10. Don't be surprised when you arrive at this modern clean border post compared to the Egyptian side and think you are in paradise, it's temporary but welcoming. Off the bus and into the terminal building without your luggage, that takes another route all on its own through scanners/ex-ray. You just go to a booth and hand in your letters of authority and passport and prepare for cross questioning.

You are likely to be asked to phone your contact/host so the official can speak to them if they are not there physically to collect you. It is far better for them to be there to collect you and speeds up the process. You will need to prove which hotel you are staying at and for how long.

Then you sit and wait. If they are happy you get a stamp in your passport and you are guided to your baggage which is physically searched and then escorted to your awaiting driver/host or if you are lucky a bright yellow 1912 limo length Mercedes Benz that will set you back 50 Shekel and waits till it's full and/or after the driver returns from prayer across the road in a small mosque. If you are not so lucky and choose to go buy bus, well, that's free but bakshish is expected. The bus takes you to the transfer gate about 1 mile away and drops you off to catch a local taxi at any astronomical price unless you agree before hand and even then bakshish is expected.

11. Happy days! Now you should be in Palestine so head toward Gaza City about 10 miles down the road....well most of the way anyway,... and have a pint of ice cold Fosters after a 12/14 hour day......yeh right!!.... sorry to say but, this is a dry country so don't expect to find anything alcoholic as it just isn't available. :-)

12. Right, you are now in Gaza.

13. Next time I will give some insight to "what you should be aware of inside Gaza.

14. Hope this helps, and by the way, to get out of Gaza, just read everything in backwards order and you will get out eventually. Remember to have transport waiting on the Egyptian side or a mystery ride will cost you a leg and arm in the worst vehicles on the road.

Best,

FB