Israel Begins Exit From Third Virus Lockdown

Israelis have begun returning to hair salons after a tough third lockdown - AFP
Israelis have begun returning to hair salons after a tough third lockdown - AFP
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Israel Begins Exit From Third Virus Lockdown

Israelis have begun returning to hair salons after a tough third lockdown - AFP
Israelis have begun returning to hair salons after a tough third lockdown - AFP

Israeli barbershops and some other businesses reopened Sunday as the country began easing its third coronavirus lockdown amid an aggressive vaccination campaign.

The government had announced Friday it was lifting some restrictions imposed since December, when the country saw a rise in Covid-19 infections.

While shops were not formally permitted to open, many small stores were making transactions with clients standing outside.

Since December, more than 3.4 million of Israel's nine million people have received a coronavirus vaccine jab in what is seen as the world's fastest per-capita campaign.

Despite the inoculations, Israel has been registering a daily average of 6,500 new Covid-19 cases, down from around 8,000 in mid-January.

A strict nationwide lockdown in force since December 27 was extended four times to combat the infection rate, but January was the deadliest month yet, with more than 1,000 Covid-19 fatalities.

But as of Sunday, Israelis were no longer restricted to within one kilometre (1,000 yards) of their homes, AFP reported.

Hair and beauty salons were allowed to have one person providing a service to one client, while nature reserves and national parks reopened.

Hotels remained shut and restaurants were allowed to cater only for takeaways, while guesthouses could only host members of the same nuclear family.

A suspension of international flights will remain in place until February 20, along with the closure of Israel's land borders.

Israelis stranded abroad will be able to return on special flights.

The cabinet met later Sunday to plan the further relaxing of limitations, especially in the educational system set to reopen Tuesday morning.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Israelis aged 50 and over to get vaccinated, while warning people to not drop their guard as virus limitations were removed.

"Relaxing the lockdown does not mean that the rise in morbidity is behind us. To the contrary, it isn't, it's still around and in full force," he said in remarks relayed by his office.

"We can't become complacent, we can't be irresponsible, or the numbers will simply rise and exact a huge toll, including lives."

The government also increased fines for businesses or schools operating in violation of the restrictions.

Many ultra-Orthodox institutions had opened during the lockdown in defiance of instructions, and some frustrated entrepreneurs have announced they will reopen their businesses even before the lockdown is entirely lifted.

Israel has registered a total of more than 687,000 cases of Covid-19, including over 5,000 deaths.



Released Pro-Palestinian Protest Leader Sues Trump for $20 Mn

Former Columbia University student and pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil at a "Welcome Home" rally on the steps of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York, USA, 22 June 2025. (EPA)
Former Columbia University student and pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil at a "Welcome Home" rally on the steps of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York, USA, 22 June 2025. (EPA)
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Released Pro-Palestinian Protest Leader Sues Trump for $20 Mn

Former Columbia University student and pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil at a "Welcome Home" rally on the steps of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York, USA, 22 June 2025. (EPA)
Former Columbia University student and pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil at a "Welcome Home" rally on the steps of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York, USA, 22 June 2025. (EPA)

Mahmoud Khalil, one of the most prominent leaders of US pro-Palestinian campus protests, sued the Trump administration Thursday for $20 million over his arrest and detention by immigration agents.

Khalil, a legal permanent resident in the United States who is married to a US citizen and has a US-born son, had been in custody following his arrest in March.

The 30-year-old was freed from a federal immigration detention center in Louisiana last month, hours after a judge ordered his release on bail.

"The administration carried out its illegal plan to arrest, detain, and deport Mr. Khalil 'in a manner calculated to terrorize him and his family,' the claim says," according to the Center for Constitutional Rights which is backing Khalil.

Khalil suffered "severe emotional distress, economic hardship (and) damage to his reputation," the claim adds.

The Columbia University graduate was a figurehead of student protests against US ally Israel's war in Gaza, and the Trump administration labeled him a national security threat.

Khalil called the lawsuit a "first step towards accountability."

"Nothing can restore the 104 days stolen from me. The trauma, the separation from my wife, the birth of my first child that I was forced to miss," he said in the statement.

"There must be accountability for political retaliation and abuse of power."

Khalil has previously shared his "horrendous" experience in detention, where he "shared a dorm with over 70 men, absolutely no privacy, lights on all the time."

President Donald Trump's government has justified pushing for Khalil's deportation by saying his continued presence in the United States could carry "potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences."

Khalil's detention came amid Trump's campaign against top US universities in recent months, with the president facing off against Columbia, Harvard and other schools over foreign student enrollment while cutting federal grants and threatening to strip accreditation.

Beyond his legal case, Khalil's team has expressed fear he could face threats out of detention.