Opening the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem to worshippers after it had been closed to the public for 70 days (Wafa, May 26, 2020).
Opening the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem to worshippers after it had been closed to the public for 70 days (Wafa, May 26, 2020).
Muslim worshippers reenter the Temple Mount for the first time (Wafa, May 31, 2020).
Overview
- The main developments in the PA’s fight against COVID-19 in Judea and Samaria during the past week were the following (updated to June 1, 2020):
- This past week 20 new COVID-19 cases were detected in the PA territories, most of them in the Qalqilya district. According to data from the ministry of health in Ramallah (June 1, 2019), there are 32 active cases in the PA, all except one in the districts of Hebron (17 cases) and Qalqilya (14 cases).
- The PA ministry of health began conducting sample testing in the various districts to verify if they are corona-free. On May 30, 2020, 1,500 of 3,000 planned tests were conducted.
- In view in the decline in the rate of infection the PA decided to relax some restrictions in districts where there were no COVID-19 cases, while taking the necessary precautions. The measure taken were mainly opening the mosques, among them al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, and allowing matriculation exams to be held.
- On May 31, 2020, prayers were renewed on the Temple Mount after 70 days during which Muslims had been forbidden to enter because of preventive measures to halt the spread of COVID-19. Hamas exploited the occasion for anti-Israel incitement propaganda, with no particular support from the Palestinian public.
The Extent of the Infection
Overview
The number of active cases in PA territory has risen by 20 (as of the morning of June 1, 2020). According to the PA ministry of health (June 1, 2019), there are 32 active cases (compared with 25 last week). Most of the new infections (14) were detected in the Qalqilya district. Since the outbreak of the pandemic 388 COVID-19 cases have been reported in Judea and Samaria and about 93,000 Palestinians have been quarantined. So far 58,000 tests have been conducted (Facebook page of the Palestinian ministry of health, June 1, 2020).
The reported number of active cases of COVID-19 in the PA territories[1]
The overall reported number of COVID-19 cases since the outbreak began[2]
Geographic Distribution of Active Cases
- Of the 32 active cases, 17 are in the Hebron district (24 last week) and 14 in the Qalqilya district (a district newly infected by the virus), and one in a village near Jerusalem. Eight districts have been declared coronavirus-free, compared with nine last week. The eight are Nablus, Tulkarm, Ramallah, Salfit, Tubas, Jericho, Jenin and Bethlehem (Facebook page of the Palestinian ministry of health, May 31, 2020).
The Qalqilya district
- Fourteen active cases have been detected in the Qalqilya district (as of June 1, 2020). Mai al-Kayla, PA minister of health, reported that the source of the infection was a resident from the village of Azoun Atmeh in the Qalqilya district who worked in Israel and was infected there. After other COVID-19 cases were detected in the Qalqilya district the governor declared the lockdown of three villages in the southern part of the district. He said the lockdown would be in force until they had tracked and tested everyone who came into contact with patient zero. Palestinians are banned from moving around inside, leaving or entering the villages (Wafa, May 28, 2020). At a meeting of the Qalqilya district’s emergency committee the governor said he was worried about infection in the district. He said the government had decided to postpone the matriculation exams in Azoun Atmeh (Sawa, May 30, 2020).
The Hebron district
- The number of active cases in the Hebron district has declined to 17 (24 last week). Preventive measures are still in effect. Despite the PA decision to open the mosques, Jibrin al-Bakri, governor of the Hebron district, said the mosques in the village of Bayt Ula would remain closed. The village is the main center of COVID-19 infection in the district (Safa, May 29, 2020).
- In an interview with Palestinian TV, Khaled Dudin, the deputy governor of the Hebron district, said that according to instructions from the Palestinian ministry of health, they were keeping preventive measures in place. He said they were closely monitoring the most recent cases of infection in Bayt Ula to prevent the virus from spreading throughout the district (Facebook page of the Hebron district governor, May 28, 2020). Mai al-Kayla, PA minister of health, said that in the previous 24 hours no new cases had been reported in Bayt Ula (Sawa, May 31, 2020).
The rate of coronavirus spread in Hebron[3]
The east Jerusalem neighborhoods
- According to reports from the PA ministry of health, in east Jerusalem there has been no change in the total number of COVID-19 cases since the beginning of the outbreak, and it remains unchanged at 179. The number has been static since May 17, 2020.
The reported number of active cases of COVID-19 in the east Jerusalem neighborhoods [4]
The overall reported number of COVID-19 cases since the outbreak began[5]
Relaxing Restrictions
- In light of the decline in the overall infection in the PA territories, it was decided to relax restrictions. Mai al-Kayla, PA minister of health, met with the director of the regional W.H.O. office to update him on relaxing restrictions. She said the necessary precautions would continue to be taken (Facebook page of the PA ministry of health, May 27, 2020). With the return to holding prayers in the mosques, there were calls in the social media to renew the “great dawn” campaign (a mass morning prayer to protest against Israel). However, apparently the call did not get much response. Even before the COVID-19 outbreak the Palestinian public had not shown much interest in the campaign.
Opening the mosques and churches
- Following the decline in COVID-19 infections, it was decided to open the mosques and churches. On May 26, 2020, the churches in Judea and Samaria were opened, after having been closed for more than two months. Thousands of Palestinians went to mosques for the morning prayer (Ma’an, May 26, 2020). The Palestinian police continue disinfecting mosques and churches (Sawa, May 26, 2020).
The Palestinian police supervise the entrance of worshippers into the Omar bin al-Khatab mosque in Bethlehem (Facebook page of the governor of the Bethlehem district, May 29, 2020).
Renewal of prayers on the Temple Mount
- On May 31, 2020, prayers were renewed on the Temple Mount. Thousands of Muslims were allowed to enter, after 70 days during which it had been closed by order of the Islamic waqf council. A number of days before the opening, waqf teams disinfected the compound and prepared the site for mass prayers. Omar al-Kiswani, director of al-Aqsa mosque, called on all worshippers to obey guidelines and practice social distancing to prevent contagion. Sheikh Ikrima Sabri, chairman of the Islamic authority in Jerusalem, called on anyone who had a medical problem not to come to pray on the Temple Mount (Wafa, May 31, 2020).
- The reopening of the mosques, and especially al-Aqsa mosque, provided Hamas with an opportunity for incitement propaganda against Israel:
- On the eve of the opening of al-Aqsa mosque, Hamas’ al-Aqsa TV called on the residents of Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, Israeli Arabs and Arabs around the globe to participate in a “Friday of rage” on May 29, 2020. The channel claimed Israel wanted to impose its sovereignty on al-Aqsa mosque and had set conditions for its reopening to limit the number of people who could enter and pray (Hamas’ al-Aqsa TV station, May 28, 2020).
- On the eve of the opening of al-Aqsa mosque it was reported that Israel had detained Sheikh Ikrima Sabri, who gave sermons in the mosque. In response to the report, Isma’il Haniyeh, head of Hamas’ political bureau, warned Israel not to exploit the spread of the coronavirus to carry out its plans. He called on the Palestinian people to defend al-Aqsa mosque in every way possible, saying that the Palestinians would not sit idly by in the face of [Israel’s] attempts to break into the mosque or set precedents (Hamas website, May 29, 2020).
Matriculation exams
- On May 30, 2020, matriculation exams began in the PA territories. About 78,000 students are expected to sit for the exams. In preparation, the Palestinian ministry of health got ready to disinfect schools and classrooms for the exams (Wafa, May 27, 2020). PA Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh paid a visit to schools in the Ramallah district to view how they were preparing for the exams. He said that in light of the precautions being taken, the number of students in each room could not exceed ten, and that they all had to wear masks (Muhammad Shtayyeh’s Facebook page, May 30, 2020).
Right: Taking the temperature of students in the Ramallah district. Left: Muhammad Shtayyeh visits a school in the Ramallah District (Wafa, May 30, 2020).
Disinfecting schools in Hebron in preparation for holding matriculation exams
(Wafa, May 27, 2020).
The relaxing of other restrictions
- Akram al-Rajoub, governor of the Jenin district, decided to allow reception venues to operate as of May 29, 2020, with all preventive measures in place. They venues will be permitted to operate with 50% capacity only, with social distancing of at least one meter (about three feet) between guests. Servers will have to wear masks and gloves (Sawa, May 28, 2020).
- The Ramallah municipality followed the government in declaring new relaxations. Services that were stopped during the state of emergency will be renewed and the public parks will reopen (Dunia al-Watan, May 28, 2020).
Restaurants and cafés open, with the proper preventive measures taken
(Wafa, May 27, 2020).
PA daycare centers reopen
(Wafa, May 27, 2020).
Foreign Aid for the PA
- Mai al-Kayla, PA minister of health, was present at the deliver of medical aid from Kuwait. The aid arrived in the Palestinian in coordination with the W.H.O. al-Kayla thanked the Sabah al-Sabah, the emir of Kuwait, for fulfilling the medical necessities of the Palestinian ministry of health (Facebook page of the Palestinian ministry of health, May 28, 2020).
Mai al-Kayla, the Palestinian minister of health, at the delivery of medical aid from Kuwait (Facebook page of the PA ministry of health, May 28, 2020).
- On May 28, 2020, Riyad al-Maliki, Palestinian foreign minister, received a number of ventilators donated by Australia (Wafa, May 28, 2020).
The PA foreign minister (third from left) at the delivery of ventilator from Australia
(Wafa, May 28, 2020).
[1] According to the Facebook page of the Palestinian ministry of health, May 26 – June 1, 2020. ↑
[2] According to the Facebook page of the Palestinian ministry of health, May 26 – June 1, 2020. ↑
[3] According to the Facebook page of the Palestinian ministry of health, May 26 – June 1, 2020. The statistics refer to the total number of reported cases and not the number of active cases. ↑
[4] According to the Facebook page of the Palestinian ministry of health, May 26 – June 1, 2020. ↑
[5] According to the Facebook page of the Palestinian ministry of health, May 26 – June 1, 2020. ↑
