Israelis over 60 will receive a third coronavirus vaccine, or booster shot, after new cases skyrocketed from an outbreak of the more contagious Delta variant. It’s unclear whether or not Palestinians will adopt these measures, as of now most of the Palestinian population is not fully vaccinated. In fact, according to the ministry of health, only 412,136 have received both jabs. 

As “more and more cases of the infectious Delta variant” are confirmed, the World Health Organization said Thursday it “fears that the fourth wave of COVID-19 is around the corner” for Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, reversing the first major decrease in new cases that had occurred over the spring.

Palestinians in Gaza who tested positive for COVID-19 during the recent escalation with Israel struggled to care for their health and their families, amid both airstrikes and overwhelmed hospitals.

While we are continuing to see the overall number of new coronavirus cases decline in the West Bank, the highly contagious delta variant is spreading throughout the Palestinian territory, causing health officials to pull the alarm and enact a four-day closure over the entire city of Jenin.

The delta variant has reached the West Bank. While previous mutations of the coronavirus have caused waves of concern, none have been this contagious or dangerous in terms of delaying national reopening plans.

Hours after Israel announced a deal this morning where Palestinians would receive “between 1 million and 1.4 million doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine presently in stock in Israel,” the agreement was canceled by Palestinian officials. The doses were to come from an Israeli reserve of excess vaccines that would expire if not used “soon,” according to the statement.

Of Palestinians who tested positive in the last week, 84% were in Gaza and 16% in the West Bank.

Israeli attacks on Gaza decimated the health sector, which included destroying doctors’ ability to confront COVID-19.

Ordinarily, we dedicate this newsletter to the latest updates around the pandemic with an emphasis on distilling data to our readers. This week, because Israel is engaged in the most intense escalation across the occupied Palestinian territory in seven years, we’re shifting gears but still using our same approach.

The Latest: 838,850 Israelis tested positive for COVID-19; 831,387 recoveries; 6,374 deaths329,228 Palestinians tested positive…