Oman Extends Land Border Closure by a Week Due to Pandemic

General view of old Muscat, Oman, January 12, 2020. REUTERS/Christopher Pike/Files
General view of old Muscat, Oman, January 12, 2020. REUTERS/Christopher Pike/Files
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Oman Extends Land Border Closure by a Week Due to Pandemic

General view of old Muscat, Oman, January 12, 2020. REUTERS/Christopher Pike/Files
General view of old Muscat, Oman, January 12, 2020. REUTERS/Christopher Pike/Files

Oman will extend the closure of its land borders for another week, until Feb. 8, to curb the spread of the coronavirus, state TV said on Sunday, citing a decision by the Gulf state’s coronavirus emergency committee.

The borders were closed on Jan. 19 because of concerns about a new coronavirus variant, a measure that was extended last week.

Meanwhile, Oman received on Sunday 100,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, according to the country’s official Oman VS COVID19 Twitter account dedicated to the efforts of countering the coronavirus.

The doses were “provided by the Republic of India, produced by the Serum Institute of India,” according to the statement.

Over 27,000 people have received the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and 7,992 received the second dose, the Times of Oman reported, citing Oman’s Ministry of Health.

Oman’s Supreme Committee last week advised the country’s citizens and residents to avoid traveling abroad, except in cases of emergency.



Israel Says it Killed Head of Mujahideen Brigades in Gaza

Palestinians search for bodies and survivors among the rubble of a destroyed house following an Israeli airstrike on Sabra neighborhood in Gaza City, 07 June 2025. EPA/MOHAMMED SABER
Palestinians search for bodies and survivors among the rubble of a destroyed house following an Israeli airstrike on Sabra neighborhood in Gaza City, 07 June 2025. EPA/MOHAMMED SABER
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Israel Says it Killed Head of Mujahideen Brigades in Gaza

Palestinians search for bodies and survivors among the rubble of a destroyed house following an Israeli airstrike on Sabra neighborhood in Gaza City, 07 June 2025. EPA/MOHAMMED SABER
Palestinians search for bodies and survivors among the rubble of a destroyed house following an Israeli airstrike on Sabra neighborhood in Gaza City, 07 June 2025. EPA/MOHAMMED SABER

Israel’s military has said it killed the head of the Mujahideen Brigades, Asaad Abou Sharia, in Gaza City on Saturday.

Abu Sharia was killed in a joint operation with Israel’s Shin Bet security agency, the army said.

His death and that of his brother Ahmed Abu Sharia were confirmed by the militant group hours after Gaza’s Civil Defense reported that an Israeli airstrike had hit their family home in the Sabra area of Gaza City.

At least 30 Palestinians were killed and scores wounded by airstrikes in Sabra, Palestinian media reported.

More than one missile landed in the area. The target seemed to have been a multi-floor residential building, but the explosion damaged several other houses nearby, according to witnesses and media.

The Mujahideen Brigades took part in the October 7 attacks on Israel alongside Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups, the Israeli army said.

It added that Sharia was among the militant leaders who stormed Kibbutz Nir Oz where many residents were killed or taken hostage during the assault that led to Israel’s war in Gaza.