“In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate”

 

I salute you and wish you well and safety. Unfortunately, we are facing the Israeli measures to annex parts of our land. Along with these measures, we are also facing a very critical increase in the number of infected COVID-19 cases. Whether this is the infection’s second wave or a continuation of the first wave, it’s something we share with the world. The highest number of cases worldwide was recorded the day before yesterday, amounting to more than 181,000 infected cases.

 

Since the beginning of March, the highest number of cases was recorded today in Palestine, with a total of 86 new cases. This wave was the result of the movement of people between Israel, Jerusalem and the remainder of the West Bank

 

We opened the public places and allowed economic establishments to operate. We asked you to comply [with the measures], and so we eased the restrictions anticipating your commitment, but this didn’t happen.

 

We asked you to adhere to the safety and health measures in weddings, to prevent gatherings and wake-houses, and there was a partial commitment. We set health conditions for praying in mosques; some people had committed, and others had not.

 

Accordingly, and in light of the unprecedented spread of the virus, especially in the Hebron Governorate, we announce the following:

 

1. Closing Hebron Governorate. It is prohibited to exit or enter it, except for the movement of goods.

 

2. Imposing a travel ban within the governorate for five days, to enable medical staff to control the epidemiological situation. Only bakeries, supermarkets, pharmacies, and factories are allowed to operate during these days while observing public safety conditions and adhering to them.

 

3. Closing the city of Nablus for 48 hours to enable the medical personnel to complete its follow-up on the city’s epidemiological map. Accordingly, the closure shall end on Monday at 20:00.

 

4. As of tonight, it is strictly forbidden to hold weddings, receptions, graduation parties, wake-houses, and all forms of gathering in all governorates, and under penalty of legal responsibility.

 

5. All public and private economic and service establishments, factories, and stores of all kinds, in addition to cafes and restaurants, must adhere to the terms of public safety. Violators expose themselves to the procedures stipulated by the law, and their shops shall be closed.

 

6. A unit, headed by the police, health personnel, and the Ministry of Economy, will monitor all governorates. Those who fail to comply, their shops will be closed.

 

7. As of tomorrow, the Ministers are required to reduce the movement of their employees between the governorates as necessary, except for Hebron’s employees that are required, in cooperation with their Ministries, to work in their governorate. We hope the private sector will implement similar arrangements.

 

8. Imposing a complete quarantine and a strict closure on every village, camp, or neighborhood in a city, or a city where the virus is spreading and constituting a danger to the entire population.

 

9. Reopening all closed quarantine centers in all governorates. Public and private hospitals are required to prepare for any necessity or emergency.

 

10.  Some people are violating the quarantine conditions, and thus endangering themselves and others and may cause them death. Accordingly, they will be tried before the law.

 

11. Tomorrow, we will start receiving our stranded citizens in some countries. Medical examinations will be conducted for them, and they will be required to commit to a-14-day home quarantine if not infected, and in quarantine centers, if infected.

 

12. Honorable sisters and brothers, there is no room for inaction. The safety procedures are simple: [keeping] a distance between one person and another, and wearing a facemask in marketplaces, work, and public places. All citizens must abide by these compulsory measures.

 

13. I appeal to our people in Israel, and as of today, to refrain from visiting any city, village, or camp in the West Bank for 14 days. We hope they will understand this procedure.

 

14. I also call on Palestinian workers in Israel not to move (on daily basis) to and from their workplaces for 14 days.

 

15. Activating the emergency committees in different villages and municipalities to support the work of the security forces, especially in hard-to-reach areas.

 

16. It is strictly forbidden to work in the [Israeli] colonies under penalty of law.

 

17. The government has been working to protect you. Now, it is your turn. The President was in the field, urging the citizens on the streets to adhere to the safety conditions. To control this wave, I hope that you protect yourselves and share the responsibility with us.

 

I regret to say that we will implement these measures for five days.  In the event of your commitment, we shall continue to apply them. However, if you do not adhere, we will resort to other more severe measures.

 

I Wish You and Our Nation Safety

Long Live Palestine