Israelis Care for top Palestinian Official

Late yesterday it was reported that Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat was moved from his home in the West Bank to the Hadassah University Hospital in Israel due to a COVID-19 infection.

At that time, hospital staff described his condition as ‘serious but stable’.

Mr Erekat is 65 years old and tested positive for coronavirus earlier this month.

Despite the fact he is an opponent of Israel, the hospital`s director said Mr Erekat is receiving “top-notch professional care like all serious corona patients at Hadassah.”

This is another example of the remarkable way Israeli medical staff are prepared to care for others.

Arab news agency Al Arabiya noted this morning that his condition had become critical, quoting a hospital spokesman as saying:

“Mr Erekat had a quiet night but this morning his condition deteriorated,
and it is now defined as critical. Due to respiratory distress,
he was put on a ventilator and placed in a medically induced coma.”

With Mr Erekat being Secretary General of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, the Israelis are now caring for one of the Palestinians’ most senior officials.

And his condition is presenting them with a huge challenge because he had a lung transplant in 2017, with associated suppression of his immune system, and he also has a bacterial infection.

Consequently, the most senior physicians at Hadassah are said to be in contact with other medical professionals around the world regarding the treatment of such a complex patient condition.