Jordan denies pregnant Palestinian woman access to West Bank

Jordanian authorities yesterday refused to allow a pregnant Palestinian woman to travel to the West Bank, Quds News Network reported.

The woman, Yaqeen Hayek, holds a West Bank ID card but lives with her husband in Gaza. Her husband has previously been held in Israeli occupation jails and was deported from West Bank to Gaza as a condition of his release years ago.

Yaqeen travelled from the Gaza Strip to Egypt and then flew to Jordan to cross into the occupied West Bank through the Allenby crossing to see her family. She last visited West Bank four years ago to give birth to her daughter.

READ: 54 Palestinians from Gaza died in 2017 awaiting Israeli travel permits

Israeli occupation forces have previously banned her from leaving the Gaza Strip for three years.

Seven-months pregnant, Yaqeen was travelling with her two and four-year-old daughters when she was stopped by Jordanian authorities. Human rights NGO the Arab Federation for Human Rights said her family is calling on Jordan to stop this arbitrary procedure.

Authorities gave no reason for their refusal.