Over 10,000 Daily COVID Cases Reported in Palestinian Territories

A Palestinian student receives a dose of Pfizer coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine as a school year begins, in a school near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, September 1, 2021. (Reuters)
A Palestinian student receives a dose of Pfizer coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine as a school year begins, in a school near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, September 1, 2021. (Reuters)
TT

Over 10,000 Daily COVID Cases Reported in Palestinian Territories

A Palestinian student receives a dose of Pfizer coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine as a school year begins, in a school near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, September 1, 2021. (Reuters)
A Palestinian student receives a dose of Pfizer coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine as a school year begins, in a school near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, September 1, 2021. (Reuters)

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh urged on Monday citizens to get inoculated against the coronavirus as daily Covid-19 cases in the West Bank, including in Jerusalem, continue to rise.

Health Minister Mai al-Kaila said her ministry recorded 10,444 new coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours, with six deaths.

She said the West Bank recorded three deaths, 5,415 new cases and 1,201 recoveries, while the Gaza Strip registered three deaths, 2,369 new cases and 95 recoveries.

In East Jerusalem, the Ministry reported 2,660 new cases.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister called on citizens to get vaccinated, particularly in light of the recent surge related to the spread of the Omicron variant.

During a weekly cabinet meeting in Ramallah, Shtayyeh said wants to avoid lockdown measures his government took at the beginning of the pandemic.

According to figures released by the Health Ministry in Ramallah, just over 30 percent of Gaza's population of about two million are fully vaccinated, compared with 60 percent in the West Bank.



Two Killed in Israeli Strike North of Lebanon’s Capital

An ambulance takes wounded to a hospital in Beirut. (AFP)
An ambulance takes wounded to a hospital in Beirut. (AFP)
TT

Two Killed in Israeli Strike North of Lebanon’s Capital

An ambulance takes wounded to a hospital in Beirut. (AFP)
An ambulance takes wounded to a hospital in Beirut. (AFP)

At least two people were killed in an Israeli strike near the Christian-majority town of Jounieh, north of Beirut, Lebanon's health ministry said on Saturday, in the first attack on the area by Israeli forces.

The Israeli military was looking into the report of the strike in Jounieh, a spokesperson said. There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah, the Lebanese armed group that is fighting Israeli troops on Lebanon's southern border and whose top leadership has suffered blows from targeted Israeli strikes.

The health ministry said the Israeli strike targeted a car.

Two witnesses told Reuters they heard a small blast and saw a Honda sports utility vehicle travelling on the main highway south in the direction of Beirut begin to lose control.

The car stopped about 100 meters down the highway and a man and a woman ran out of the vehicle and into a grassy area on the side of the highway before another blast, the witnesses said.

One witness saw the charred remains of a person in the grassy area.