Palestinian Agriculture Minister Hikmat Zaid and his Israeli counterpart Shalom Simhon will meet soon to discuss the outbreak of foot and mouth disease in the Palestinian territories, reported Haaretz newspaper.
On Friday, Zaid announced the discovery of 13 cases of foot-and-mouth disease in the West Bank, adding that three cases were found Thursday and that 10 more were discovered on Friday.
He said the affected animals were sheep, adding that the disease could be more widespread in the Palestinian territories, but that Palestinians have had difficulty studying the situation because of Israel's military closure of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
According to the Haaretz, Simhon will tell Zaid not to draw any link between the outbreak and the closure on many Palestinian cities and other sanctions.
Simhon will also offer Israel's assistance to the PA in vaccinating animals against the disease.
AFP reported that Israel will give the Palestinians 150,000 vaccines against the disease, according to General Yaakov Or, the coordinator of Israeli activities in the Palestinian territories.
"We are going to supply 150,000 doses of vaccine and look into the on-the-ground study information that the Palestinians will be giving us," the general told public television – Albawaba.com
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