Sending and Receiving Mail in the West Bank, Palestine: Many who visit Palestine, especially those staying for longer periods of time, like to send postcards, letters, and even gifts to their friends and families back home, and likewise like receiving mail, too. However, most are unsure how the postal system in Palestine works, including what to expect with available services, shipping rates, and estimated delivery timetables. Below you will find an overview and guide to the Palestinian postal service to help answer these questions. 

The Palestine Post: A History

The Palestine Post was implemented during the Ottoman era in 1840, and by 1849 seven offices had opened across Palestine. By this point, the cities of Jerusalem, Nablus, Gaza, Jaffa, Bethlehem, Tiberias, and Hebron were capable of sending and receiving mail for the region. 

After the fall of the Ottoman Empire at the end of WWI, the Mandate period began and the Palestine Post fell under management of the British Royal Mail. With the British Mandate dissolved and the founding of Israel in 1948, Egypt began administering postal service in Gaza while offices in Jerusalem and the West Bank were administered by Jordan.

After the Six-Day War of 1967 and the ensuing Israeli occupation of the Syrian Golan, the Palestinian Territories, and the Egyptian Sinai, the Palestine Post fell under full Israeli control, at which point sending and receiving mail became increasingly complicated and expensive as Palestinian mail could only be sent by Israeli proxy.

The Palestinian Authority took over control of the Palestinian postal sector in 1995 as part of the Oslo I concessions. In 2008 Israel and Palestine reached an agreement during the Geneva Conference for direct postal exchange between Palestine and Jordan, and the following year Palestine was assigned international zip codes. 

Sending Mail From Palestine

Similar to other countries with public and private mail systems, when sending letters and parcels you essentially have two options. You may opt to employ the Palestine Post, which as previously stated is under the administration of the Palestinian Authority, and while it will be relatively inexpensive, delivery could take anywhere from 20-30 days depending on the international destination. 

Comparatively you may also choose to use any one of the private, international shipping companies such as FedEx, DHL, Aramex, or Wassel, which will of course be more expensive but should take no longer than 3-4 business days to arrive. 

Receiving Mail in Palestine

Incoming mail destined for Palestine must first pass through Israel, a process which may take several months. Additionally, parcels will likely face inspection, the contents of which very often arrive damaged. It is therefore inadvisable to have items of either personal or financial value sent through the post; this is especially true for international visitors, as tourist visas are only valid for a maximum of 90 days. 

For international visitors awaiting mail, it is important to advise the sender to include your mobile contact or a local telephone number as part of the address. Addresses in the West Bank, Palestine are not as standardized as they are in Western countries, and most buildings and residences lack street numbers; rather, Palestinian addresses employ the use of neighboring landmarks to describe their location. Including a telephone number therefore ensures the post office can contact you to inform you of your mail’s arrival. 

Postal Tax

Israel collects taxes on mail and parcels delivered to Palestine, with tax rates and customs for international packages as follows:

• Under $75: no customs or taxes 
• $75-$500: 16% Value-added tax (VAT), no customs charge
• Over $500: VAT and customs, rate unspecified

All packages, regardless of cash value, will also be charged 35 NIS commission for handling. Some products such as tobacco and alcohol are under a special classification and are therefore always charged customs and tax. Electronic products may be exempt from customs charges but will be charged a 16% VAT.

Can I Use the Israeli Postal System?

International visitors with visas approved for Israel and the West Bank upon their arrival can certainly access the Israeli postal system. For those residing within the West Bank, Israeli post offices will be most easily accessed via Jerusalem. Be advised, you may need to make an appointment online beforehand. Since 2015, Israel Post began implementing appointment-based services, and many are only operating via appointment at this point. 

Amazon and eBay

You should always double-check company policies regarding shipping to ensure delivery is possible, as the Palestinian Territories have not always been an available option or incur additional fees. However, some bypass these restrictions by using their Palestinian address and simply listing the destination country as Israel. 

That said, as of March 2020 Amazon now offers free shipping to the Palestinian Territories after it was discovered they were providing this service only to illegal Israeli settlements while charging Palestinians inflated shipping costs. The Palestinian Ministry of Economy threatened to sue Amazon for conducting business in these settlements and thereby violating international law. 

EBay as a business model differs dramatically from Amazon, as it is primarily made up of individual sellers. Shipping policies as they relate to destination therefor varies by each seller. EBay does have a Global Shipping Program designed to make products more accessible globally, and while this policy extends to Israel, Palestine is currently excluded. 

Learn From Past Experience

A previous participant of the Excellence Center, Tara ordered a couple traditional Palestinian thobes with tatreez embroidery from a vendor located in Jenin, to be shipped to her home in the U.K. At the time, she used the standard postal service to deliver the items, however unfortunately not everything went as planned. She recounts:

“I ordered two dresses with beautiful Palestinian embroidery from a seller in Jenin. I paid using PayPal and opted to use the standard delivery service. I expected the delivery time to be around 10-14 days, perhaps a little longer due to the coronavirus pandemic slowing down progress. However after almost 2 months, the items had not arrived. I contacted the vendor, who was surprised to hear that the parcel had not been delivered. When he checked the tracking information, he discovered the parcel had been sent to Florida, USA!

Luckily the seller was able to get the parcel returned to him and he sent me two replacement dresses. This time I paid a bit extra for the DHL service and the parcel arrived, in excellent condition within 3 days. I don’t know whether the mistake with the standard postal service is something that happens regularly or if I was just unlucky. I was very pleased with the speedy DHL service and I was delighted with the vendor’s service and the effort they went to [in order] to resolve the issue.”

Final Remarks

Sending mail in the West Bank, Palestine is not difficult, and from a customer standpoint works more or less the same as in any country. However, international visitors are wise to be aware of the politics influencing the postal systems and how these limitations translate into practice. Being well-informed about your options, estimated delivery timetables, and the fees associated with sending and receiving post is important in order to avoid any potential issues. 

If for any reason you have items which are urgently required and pertinent, be advised to only rely on reputable shipping services and always use tracking.

Any questions

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact at Info@ecpalestine.org

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Tags: Receiving Mail in Palestine, Sending Mail From Palestine, The Palestine Post