Israel to give over 1 mln COVID-19 vaccines to Palestinian Authority in exchange deal

JERUSALEM, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Israel in the coming days will provide the Palestinian Authority with 1 to 1.4 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine against coronavirus.

In this Feb. 23, 2021, file photo, Palestinians take a selfie after receiving the coronavirus vaccine from an Israeli medical team, (Photo: AP)

The transfer of vaccines to the West Bank is included in an exchange deal between the two sides, said a joint statement issued by the Israel Prime Minister's Office, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Defense on Friday.

All these vaccine doses will expire soon, the statement noted, adding the outline was approved because Israel's current stock of vaccines meets all needs.

In exchange, Israel will regain the same amount of vaccines from Palestinian Authority during September-October.

To date, Israel has vaccinated more than 5.49 million people against coronavirus, or 58.9 percent of its population.

The number of COVID-19 patients in serious condition in Israel has dropped to 23 on Friday.