UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on Israel to halt and reverse its this week’s decision to approve almost 800 new settlement united, most of which are located deep inside the occupied West Bank. The decision, which came days before the inauguration of US President-elect Joe Biden, is a major obstacle to the achievement of the two-state solution, and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the Middle East, the UN chief said in a statement.
Israel will begin rolling out a major coronavirus vaccination campaign next week after the prime minister reached out personally to the head of a major drug company. Millions of Palestinians living under Israeli control will have to wait much longer. The COVID-19 vaccine roll-out plan so far covers only citizens of Israel, including Israeli settlers living inside the West Bank, and Palestinian residents of Jerusalem. It excludes the nearly 5 million Palestinians who live in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, under Israeli military occupation.