Banksy opens new 'hotel with the worst views in the world' on the West Bank

Controversial artist Banksy has opened a new piece of artwork in the form of a hotel - in the landlocked, occupied territory of the West Bank.

The Walled Off Hotel is situated in Bethlehem, near the barrier wall between the Palestinian territories and Israel, and consists of nine ordinary rooms and one presidential suite.

The artist says the aim of the project is to bring jobs and tourism to the town, and says it is a real hotel that will soon be open for guests.

Banksy first visited Bethlehem over a decade ago, installing several pieces in the area in 2005 and 2007.

One piece of work showed a girl frisking a soldier, and another showed a dove - the symbol of peace - in a flak jacket.

Banksy's artwork features in all of the rooms, including this bedroom mural Credit: AP

Banksy has created art on this scale before, opening his "bemusement" park Dismaland in Weston-super-Mare in 2015.

The temporary installation was billed as a "sinister twist on Disneyland" and featured art by three Palestinians and three Israelis side by side.

Banksy's famous dove in a flak jacket, seen in the West Bank in 2007 Credit: AP
A girl frisking a guard in the West Bank, seen in 2007 Credit: AP