Israel is giving small amounts of surplus COVID-19 vaccines to the Palestinian territories as well as to several countries, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday.
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The government of Guatemala – which opened its Israel embassy in Jerusalem last year – said it was expecting to receive 5,000 doses from Israel on Thursday.
The government of Honduras – which said last year it intended to move its Israel embassy to Jerusalem – said it was expecting 5,000 doses from Israel. The country has yet to receive any doses.
The Czech Republic has received several thousand Moderna doses from Israel, Czech Foreign Minister Tomas Petricek told reporters on Tuesday. The donation comes after the European Union country's president and premier sent letters to Israel requesting vaccine help.
In December 2020, the Czech Republic said it would add a diplomatic presence to its Jerusalem office, a move short of opening a full embassy in the city.
Other countries that will reportedly receive vaccines from Israel are San Marino, Cyprus, Chad, Ethiopia, and Mauritania. Each will receive between 2,000 and 5,000 immunizations.
Israel has been importing Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna Inc vaccines. It has administered at least one Pfizer dose to almost 50% of its 9 million population in one of the world's swiftest campaigns.
This month the Palestinians received an initial shipment of Moderna doses from Israel, helping kick off a limited vaccination program in Judea, Samaria, and the Gaza Strip.
The vaccines due for Honduras will be administered to health workers at risk of exposure, and a Honduran Air Force plane is in Israel to transport them, government spokesman Carlos Madero said.
The Central American country last year followed the United States in signaling its intention to move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, a diplomatic gain for Israel.
Some of Netanyahu's opponents criticized the donations, saying the prime minister had not consulted with the public or even his own cabinet before making them.
Blue and White leader Benny Gantz tweeted that Netanyahu "thinks he is running a kingdom and not a state. Such a move requires discussion and approval."
In an interview with Army Radio, Finance Minister Israel Katz said he was unaware of the donations.
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