Israel News for 2-22-2021

News Update

The Health Ministry reported 3,038 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, putting the infection rate at 6.3%. 75% of the cases were in people under 40. There are currently 838 people hospitalized in serious condition. There have been 5,585 coronavirus related deaths since the start of the pandemic.

The IDF sunk a suspicious boat off the Gaza coast, which it said posed a threat to navy ships in the area.

Palestinian sources revealed today that the Likud party has held talks with officials in Ramallah over potentially supporting PM Netanyahu in the upcoming Israeli elections. According to sources, the talks with Palestinian Authority officials were initiated in an effort to encourage Israeli-Arabs to vote for Likud or abstain from voting for the predominantly Arab Joint List party. Likud was represented by Druze politician Fateen Mulla, who currently serves as the deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Office. Likud denied the report, but Mulla confirmed the talks, but downplayed their importance.

Israel and Egypt agreed to lay underwater pipeline as part of a bigger pipeline project to convey natural gas from Israel to Europe via Greece and Italy.

Tons of tar have piled up on Israel’s beaches stretching along the entire coastline, from Gaza to Lebanon, as a result of an oil spill from a passing ship. Thousands of volunteers and IDF soldiers are racing to clean up the mess, which has already caused extensive ecological damage.

Israeli website building company Wix.com has become Israel’s most valuable company.