Palestinian authority accuses Israel of 'discriminating' over COVID-19 vaccine roll-out

Palestinian Authority on January 10 said that it expects first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines in March under an agreement signed with British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical company, AstraZeneca but accused Israel of shrinking a duty to ensure that jabs are available in occupied territory amid pandemic. Even though Israel has reportedly already become world leader in COVID-19 immunisations per capita, Palestinians in Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip have reportedly t yet received first jabs.

statement by Palestinian Foreign Minsitry read, “ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates affirmed duties of Israel, occupying Power, to provide vaccines against Corona to Palestinian people, at a time when it provides se vaccines to its citizens, igres its duties as an occupying power, and makes racial discrimination against Palestinian people and denies m ir right to health.”

“ occupying power has thing but recognition of its racial discrimination and its inability to implement its obligations and assume its responsibilities, or to transfer m completely to Palestinian government to carry m out, with direction of Israel ending its colonial occupation of land of State of Palestine,” it added,

Read - Israeli Army: Paralyzed Palestinian Shot In Self-defense

Read - Israeli Guard Kills Alleged Palestinian Attacker

Vaccine discrimination by Israel: Report

According to Guardian, Israel transports batches of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine deep inside West Bank, but y are t being distributed to roughly 2.7 million Palestinians living in region. Palestinian Authority, which maintains limited self-rule in territories, has said that optimistically, shots could arrive within next two weeks. 

director-general of Palestinian health ministry has estimated that first vaccines would probably arrive in February. And those would be through a WHO-led partnership called COVAX, which has pledged to vaccinate 20 per cent of Palestinians. However, as COVAX vaccines have t yet gained “emergency use”, Gerald Rockenschaub, head of office at WHO Jerusalem, said it could be “early to mid-2021” before vaccine was available for distribution in Palestinian territories. 

Read - Israeli Security Guard Kills Alleged Palestinian Attacker

Read - Israeli And Palestinian Hopes For 2021 Amid Virus