The Israeli government announced on Sunday that it will transfer 5,000 doses of coronavirus vaccine to Palestinians to immunize front-line health workers, The Associated Press reports.
The office of Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz made the announcement, the AP said, adding that the statement marked the first official confirmation of a transfer. No program has been launched for when the transfer will take place, according to the news service.
Palestinian officials say their government does not have the funds to buy enough vaccines for its population. The PA notes that the Palestinian Authority is seeking doses through the World Health Organization (WHO) COVAX program, which aims to deliver doses to countries in need. However, the program was slow to start distribution.
Israel has so far excelled in vaccinating its population, but has withheld vaccines from those living under the Palestinian Authority. Israel has previously acknowledged that it would be in its best interest to provide vaccines to Palestinians, given their proximity, but officials said they would not provide any doses until their own population was inoculated.
Many world health leaders have claimed inequity in the global distribution of vaccines, with richer nations pre-purchasing more than enough doses to immunize their populations, while some poorer countries have received almost none.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus praised vaccine manufacturers in early January, accusing them of prioritizing profits by focusing their approval efforts on richer countries. He mentioned during the WHO executive board meeting that a poorer country, Guinea, had received only 25 doses.