Amazon now delivering free shipping to Palestinian territories: Palestinian Ministry

The Palestinian Ministry of Telecom and Information Technology says online retail giant Amazon will now be delivering items to customers in the occupied Palestinian territories for free following condemnations over an earlier policy, which allowed such a service only to Israeli settlers living in illegal settlements.

The ministry in a statement on Wednesday attributed the policy reversal by Amazon to legal actions taken by itself, the Palestinian Ministry of National Economy, the Palestinian Ministry of Finance and Planning and the Universal Postal Union among others against the discriminatory policy.

Back on February 26, Palestinian Minister of Finance, Shukri Bishara, and Palestinian Minister for National Economy Khaled al-Osaily, in two identical letters addressed to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, expressed astonishment over the company’s recent decision to charge Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, calling on the e-commerce company to cease its discriminatory practice against Palestinians.

“It is unacceptable for Amazon to flaunt international law in such a way. Nearly 140 UN member states – a vast majority – have formally recognized Palestine as a state. Yet Amazon, using its overwhelming financial and commercial clout, now seeks to extract from Palestinians a formal admission that they are part of Israel,” the letter read.

PA demands Amazon to halt discriminatory practice toward Palestinians

The Palestinian Authority has called on the US online retail giant Amazon to cease its recent discriminatory practice toward Palestinians.

The two Palestinian ministers then accused Amazon of aiding and abetting the Tel Aviv regime’s violation of international law as regards free shipping to Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank which are illegal under the international law.

“Amazon’s reprehensible practice must cease immediately,” they said. “If it does not do so, then the world will come to realize that the lofty words and aspirations of Amazon’s commitment to equality, fairness and corporate social responsibility are entirely hollow,” Bishara and Osaily pointed out.

Earlier last month, the English-language international daily newspaper Financial Times revealed that upon running West Bank addresses listed as Israeli through Amazon's delivery portal, the online retailer would offer free shipping to settlements on the occupied Palestinian territory.

Amazon’s free shipping to Israeli settlements 'biased,' Hamas says

Customers who select

Customers who selected “Palestinian Territories” as their address, however, were subject to shipping and handling fees upwards of $24.

Amazon penalizes Palestinians for listing 'Palestinian Territories' in address

Amazon is depriving Palestinians of free shipping granted to nearby customers in illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank for mentioning the "Palestinian Territories" in the address not Israel.

More than 600,000 Israelis live in over 230 settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and East Jerusalem al-Quds.

All Israeli settlements are illegal under international law.

EU denounces Israel’s plan of building thousands of settler units in E1 West Bank corridor

The EU has urged Israel to stop building thousands of settler units in East Jerusalem al-Quds.

According to human rights groups, incidents of sabotage and violence by extremist Jewish settlers against Palestinians and their property are a daily occurrence throughout the West Bank.

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