Israel’s Health Minister told CNN that he does not believe Israel has an obligation or responsibility to provide Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza with a coronavirus vaccine, but emphasized cooperation in treatment to prevent an increase in new cases of Covid- 19 in the Palestinian territories.
Yuli Edelstein’s comments came after the World Health Organization (WHO) said it held informal discussions with the Israeli Ministry of Health about the possible supply of vaccines to the Palestinian workforce as an “immediate priority target group. “.
“We are cooperating with the Palestinians to ensure that they receive adequate treatment for patients with coronavirus. At this stage, we are not providing vaccines, but we understand that it is in Israel’s interest to ensure that we do not get into a situation where we are vaccinated and without problems, and on the Palestinian side there is another increase in numbers, “said Edelstein on CNN’s New Day.
Israel is a world leader in vaccinating its people, with almost 20% of the population receiving at least one dose of the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine. But it has been criticized by some human rights groups, who say they have obligations under international law to provide vaccines to Palestinians too.
Amnesty International, for example, said last week: “The Israeli government must stop ignoring its international obligations as an occupying power and act immediately to ensure that COVID-19 vaccines are provided equally and fairly to Palestinians living under their occupation in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. ”
Groups like Amnesty point to the Fourth Geneva Convention, which, among other functions of an occupying power, talks about ensuring “the necessary measures to combat the spread of contagious diseases and epidemics”.
Israel argues that the Oslo Accords, signed with Palestinians in the 1990s, hand over responsibility for providing health care to Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza to the Palestinian Authority (PA).
The director general of the Palestinian Health Ministry’s Directorate of Public Health told CNN that the AP had not sought Israel’s help with vaccines, something that was denied by the President of the Union of Health Care Committees, Mustafa Barghouti, himself a important Palestinian politician. He told CNN that reports that the PA had fetched about 10,000 doses for healthcare professionals were correct. Barghouti said the request was rejected by Israel.
WHO said it was informed that the Israeli Ministry of Health was ready to “explore the option” of immediate vaccines for medical workers in the Palestinian territories, but was informed that “it is currently not in a position to provide vaccines due to a lack of vaccines in Israel. “
Edelstein told CNN: “It is in our interest; it does not in any way mean that it is our obligation or responsibility. The Palestinians are running the Palestinian Authority … but as has been the case in recent months, we were always ready to help with equipment, with good advice, with products or medicines, and that kind of cooperation will continue. ”
The Palestinian Ministry of Health said on Monday that it registered the Russian Sputnik V vaccine for what it called emergency use, with an initial batch scheduled to arrive in the territories within a month, according to the Russian Direct Investment Fund, that sponsored the development of the vaccine. The Ministry of Health says it has also signed contracts with three other vaccine suppliers Covid-19.