Senior Palestinian official Saeb Erekat is in intensive care in an Israeli hospital as he fights Covid-19. 

The PLO chief negotiator is being treated at Hadassah Medical Centre in Jerusalem, which said on Monday morning the 65-year-old was put on a ventilator and “heavily sedated”.

“Mr Erekat is a great challenge in terms of his corona treatment as he is a lung transplantee with a depressed immune system. 

“In addition to corona, he also has a bacterial infection. 

“Hadassah, with it its most senior physicians are in contact with physicians internationally regarding the treatment protocol for such a complex patient,” Hadassah said. 

The PLO said Tuesday morning that Mr Erekat’s family confirmed his health status as “stable”. 

“Dr Erekat's family confirmed to Wafa, Palestine News Agency, that his health status is stable,” read a tweet from the PLO.  

“Dr Erekat is still in the intensive care [sic] and undergoing artificial respiration.”

Data from John Hopkins University found a total of 47,616 confirmed cases and 413 deaths in the West Bank and Gaza.

Israel, meanwhile, began easing its second lockdown at the weekend, with day care centres, nurseries, nature reserves, beaches and parks allowed to reopen.

The country, which has recorded more than 300,100 cases according to the university's data, also lifted a ban on household mixing and a travel limit of 1km from home.