Skip to main content

Palestinian government tells workers in Israel to come home

The Palestinian government has asked workers in Israel to return in light of the spread of the coronavirus in Israel and the mistreatment of Palestinian workers.

RTS37ISR.jpg
A medical staff member swabs the nose of a Palestinian worker to test for the coronavirus upon his return from Israel, outside the Israeli-controlled Tarqumiya checkpoint, near Hebron, Israeli-occupied West Bank, March 26, 2020. — REUTERS/Mussa Qawasma

RAMALLAH, West Bank — The town of Biddou 10 kilometers (6 miles) northwest of Jerusalem has become the new coronavirus epicenter in the Palestinian territories after the death of a 60-year-old woman due to COVID-19 on March 25. Her son, who works in Israel, had transmitted the virus to her. Meanwhile, 21 cases have so far been recorded in the town, prompting Jerusalem Gov. Adnan Ghaith to announce the complete isolation of Biddou on March 26.

The virus quickly spread to the nearby village of Qatanna, which recorded 20 cases of the coronavirus on April 1, with the total tally of infections in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip reaching 134, including one death and 18 recoveries. 

Related Topics

Subscribe for unlimited access

All news, events, memos, reports, and analysis, and access all 10 of our newsletters. Learn more

$14 monthly or $100 annually ($8.33/month)
OR

Continue reading this article for free

All news, events, memos, reports, and analysis, and access all 10 of our newsletters. Learn more.

By signing up, you agree to Al-Monitor’s Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. Already have an account? Log in