Today, Friday, the Palestinian government announced the cancellation of a deal with Israel to receive about one million doses of the American Pfizer vaccine, against the Corona virus.
Government spokesman Ibrahim Melhem said, during a press conference in Ramallah, that after examining the first batch received from Israel, estimated at 90,000 doses, "it was found that it did not conform to the specifications contained in the agreement."
The Palestinian official added that accordingly, Palestinian Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh instructed Health Minister Mai Al-Kaila to cancel the agreement on exchanging vaccines with the Israeli side.
He stressed that the Palestinian government will wait for the supply of vaccines from the parent company in installments according to the agreement concluded with it by direct purchase, the price of which was previously paid to the company.
Last April, the Palestinian Cabinet approved the purchase of 4.5 million doses of the Russian Pfizer and Sputnik vaccines, at a value of $27.5 million, arriving in installments.
And earlier Friday, May Al-Kaila announced that her ministry will start receiving about one million doses of the Pfizer vaccine in batches, successively, during the coming days.
She added that her country had received an offer from the American company that manufactured the vaccine in order to obtain about one million doses from the Israeli side, in exchange for the company giving Israel the same amount of doses at the end of this year.
exchange deal
On the other hand, the Israeli government said in a statement that it had agreed with the Palestinian Authority on a deal to exchange anti-Coronavirus vaccines, according to which about one million doses of vaccines will soon expire, to the Palestinian Authority.
Under this capacity, Israel was supposed to receive the next shipment of vaccine doses, which were allocated by Pfizer to the Palestinian Authority.
A statement by the Israeli government said that, based on the recommendations of the competent authorities, and after studying work and receiving all permits, it was agreed today, Friday, that Tel Aviv will transfer a quantity ranging between one million and 1.4 million doses of vaccine against Corona manufactured by Pfizer, and its effect will soon expire to the Palestinian Authority.
The statement added that in return for these doses, Israel will receive the same amount from the company during the months of September and October of this year, at the expense of the shipment that was planned to be sent to the Palestinian Authority.
He explained that this plan was approved in light of Israel's possession of a sufficient stockpile of vaccines, which currently meets all needs.
Israel launched a massive vaccination campaign at the end of last December after an agreement with the giant pharmaceutical group Pfizer, and so far more than 5 million Israelis have received two doses of the vaccine.
Israel, which has been the world's fastest-growing country in releasing vaccines, has been criticized for not doing more to ensure that Palestinians get the vaccine.
On the Palestinian side, about 260,000 doses of the vaccine were received in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.