The Israeli government announced on Sunday that it will transfer 5,000 doses of the coronavirus vaccine to the Palestinians to immunize frontline health workers, The Associated Press reports.
Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz’s office made the announcement, the AP noted, adding that the statement marked the first official confirmation of a transfer. No timetable has been released for when the transfer would take place, according to the news agency.
Palestinian officials said their government did not have the funds to buy enough vaccines for its population. The AP notes that the Palestinian Authority is trying to purchase doses through the COVAX program of the World Health Organization (WHO), which aims to provide doses to countries in need. However, the program seems to have taken a long time to start distribution.
Israel has excelled in vaccinating its population so far, but has withheld vaccines from those living under the Palestinian Authority. Israel had previously recognized that it would be in its own interest to provide vaccines to the Palestinians, given their proximity, but officials said they would not provide any doses until their own population was inoculated.
Many world health leaders have warned of inequality in the global distribution of vaccines, with wealthier nations purchasing more than enough doses to immunize their populations, while some poorer countries have received almost none.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus criticized vaccine manufacturers in early January, accusing them of prioritizing profits, focusing their approval efforts on the wealthiest nations. He noted during the WHO executive council meeting that a poorer country, Guinea, had received only 25 doses.