Monday, 25 Nov 2024

Palestinians Go Into New Lockdown While Awaiting Vaccines

Covid cases are surging again in the West Bank amid a dispute over Israel’s obligations toward the Palestinians in the occupied territories.


By Isabel Kershner

JERUSALEM — The Palestinian Authority on Saturday announced a new set of lockdown restrictions in the West Bank as coronavirus infections surge and Palestinians await the rollout of a significant vaccination program.

The move comes as Israel has secured ample supplies of the vaccine for itself and raced ahead with its own inoculation program, outpacing the rest of the world. The imbalance has added a new layer of friction to the longstanding Israeli-Palestinian conflict and drawn scrutiny of Israel’s obligations in the occupied territories.

The lockdown restrictions, set to last for 12 days, include the closure of universities, nighttime curbs on travel and nonessential commerce, and a ban on gatherings for weddings, parties and funerals.

The Palestinian minister of health, Mai al-Kaila, said on Saturday that 910 new cases and five deaths had been recorded in the West Bank in the previous 24 hours. Another Palestinian, she added, had died in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip after contracting Covid-19.

Three more Palestinians from East Jerusalem, Ms. al-Kaila said, had died of the disease in recent days.

About 91 percent of Palestinians infected by the disease since last March have recovered, Ms. al-Kaila said. Over all, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry, there have been about 206,440 confirmed cases among Palestinians over the past year, including about 24,500 in Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem.

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