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NABLUS (Ma’an) – Israeli forces on Thursday denied Palestinian minister of agriculture Shawqi al-Ayasa entry to the northern Jordan Valley where he was scheduled to meet with farmers in the village of Furush Beit Dajan.

Head of the local council of Beit Dajan Nasr Abu Jeish told Ma’an that Israeli soldiers stationed at Hamra checkpoint denied al-Ayasa entry through the checkpoint.

The soldiers claimed there was no coordination for the visit between the Palestinian and Israeli liaison departments. The minister was held for about 45 minutes at the checkpoint before the soldiers closed it and asked al-Ayasa to go back.

Abu Jeish added that the minister was scheduled to attend a meeting with farmers from the Jordan Valley to listen to their problems especially water shortage. The meeting was organized by the local council of Beit Dajan and the Nablus governorate.

The meeting was eventually held in al-Badhan village in northeast Nablus where both the minister and farmers were able to go without passing through Israeli checkpoints.