Israel to give Palestinian Authority 5,000 doses of coronavirus vaccine

Israel is to transfer 5,000 Covid-19 vaccine doses to the Palestinian Authority for frontline medical workers, Defence Minister Benny Gantz has confirmed.

It will be the first transfer of the vaccine from Israel to the Palestinian territories.

Israel has come under criticism from some human rights groups for not vaccinating Palestinians in contrast to the advanced campaign for its own citizens.

But Israel has pointed out that under the 1993 Oslo Accords, the Palestinian Authority is responsible for health provision.