Israeli-Palestinian Crossings Closed to Prevent Pandemic

West Bank, MINA – The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is considering temporarily closing the crossing between Israeli and Palestinian territories in the West Bank. It was done in an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.

“Given the dramatic spike in Corona morbidity in the Palestinian Authority,” Netanyahu said ordering the crossing to be evaluated immediately. The policy was issued by the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office in a statement.

As it was reported by the Jerusalem Post, a similar step was taken earlier this year. Palestinian officials said on Wednesday they were not aware of Israel’s decision to close checkpoints to and from the West Bank, as coronavirus infections continue to rise among Palestinians.

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“We have not received an official announcement from the Israeli side on this matter,” said a senior Palestinian Authority official.

The official pointed out that the PA (Palestinian Authority) is considering banning Arab-Israelis from entering the West Bank. The policy will take effect in the coming days as part of an effort to stem the spread of the Coronavirus.

According to the official, many Arab-Israelis have held weddings and other gatherings in various parts of the West Bank. One of the most popular is especially in Jericho and Bethlehem. Many of their programs violate health restrictions related to the corona virus.

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Health Ministry Director General Chezy Levy said on Wednesday in a briefing that “there are suspicions that when [workers] come from the territory they are carrying the virus and infecting the Israelis.”

He added, “We are evaluating how to test people who come to work and how many we will allow [into Israel] to help stop the spread of the virus from the territory to Israel”. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)