Jericho, PALESTINE

Jericho (Arabic: Arīḥā) is considered the oldest continuously inhabited cities on Earth, with archaeological evidence of settlement from around 9000 BCE, making it a key site for understanding early agriculture and urban life.

Palestinian culture in Jericho reflects one of the world’s oldest continuous urban traditions, where agriculture, especially date palms and citrus groves, remains central to daily life, cuisine, and seasonal celebrations. The city’s vibrant embroidery, music, storytelling, and deep ties to family and land embody the resilience and hospitality that characterize Palestinian cultural identity. Modern Jericho lies in the fertile Jordan Valley of the West Bank, about 258 m below sea level, and had a population of roughly 20,907 in 2017. Tourism draws visitors to sites like Tell es‑Sultan, the oldest known agricultural town in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Jericho is administered by a locally elected municipal council headed by a mayor. Day-to-day governance, services such as water, sanitation, local roads, planning, and policing, is carried out under the Palestinian Authority, which was established following the 1990s Oslo Accords. Under the Oslo framework, Jericho is classified as Area A, meaning the Palestinian Authority has civil and internal security control within the city itself. However, Israel retains overarching security authority across the West Bank and controls borders, airspace, and movement between Palestinian cities. Entry and exit to Jericho, like other West Bank cities, often involve Israeli checkpoints, and broader issues such as land designation, settlement expansion, and security operations remain under Israeli control.
In international relations, Albuquerque is recognized as Jericho’s first Friendship City in the United States, fostering cultural exchange, educational ties, and cooperative projects.

Jericho’s development and access to land and resources are affected by regional political dynamics, including the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank’s Jordan Valley, such as Mevo’ot Yericho and Yitav, whose growth is seen by many Palestinians and international observers as encroaching on Palestinian communities and limiting available land and water resources around Jericho.