UN praises Israel’s ‘excellent’ cooperation with Palestinians tackling virus

The United Nations has praised Israel for its work over the Covid-19 pandemic and its coordination with the Palestinian authorities.

Since the beginning of the crisis, Israel has allowed the entry of critical supplies and equipment into Gaza, including swabs for collection of samples and other laboratory supplies required for Covid-19 testing, and personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect Palestinian health workers.

The UN also noted Israel’s cooperation in allowing health workers and other personnel involved in the pandemic response to move in and out of the West Bank and Gaza.

Nickolay Mladenov, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, surprised Israeli observers with his description of the “excellent” cooperation established between Israel and the Palestinian Authority in tackling the virus.

The Israeli and Palestinian authorities are continuing to coordinate their responses closely and constructively, he said, which has been a major factor in the level of disease containment so far.

The Israeli government has further limited the movement of people and trade in recent days, whilst the Palestinian prime minister ordered a lockdown from Sunday night. There were more than 3,300 confirmed cases in Israel by the end of last week, with more than 80 in the Palestinian territories.