The spread of coronavirus among Palestinians is still quite high and many are still not vaccinated, but they requested access to pray for the sick nonetheless. After much discussion among medical and security officials, the request was approved by the government, allowing vaccinated individuals to pray freely on the Temple Mount.
Still, the majority of Palestinians, who are not vaccinated, will not be permitted to join in the prayers.
The Palestinian Authority has struggled to provide enough vaccinations for its population. Today, over 80,000 coronavirus vaccines have entered the Gaza Strip and over 200,000 vaccines have been donated to the Palestinian Authority to be used in the West Bank.
Israel has also initiated its program to vaccinate 120,000 Palestinian workers in Israel and the West Bank settlements, so the number of vaccinated individuals has increased.
A reassessment of the health and security situation and permissions to enter the Temple Mount will take place after April 16.Tovah Lazaroff contributed to this report.