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Thousands of Israeli soldiers quarantined due to coronavirus

March 18, 2020 at 10:54 am

Israeli soldiers in the northern West Bank, on 20 April, 2019 [Nedal Eshtayah/Anadolu Agency]

Israeli security officials said on Tuesday that they expect the operational efficiency of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) to decline with thousands of troops quarantined due to the coronavirus crisis, Arab48.com has reported.

According to Wallah news website, 4,267 Israeli soldiers are in quarantine by order of the Ministry of Health. Many have tested positive for the virus, Covid-19. Although some officials denied that operational efficiency has been affected, others expressed their concerns because many senior officers are among those in quarantine.

READ: Palestine declares state of emergency to tackle coronavirus outbreak

As of Tuesday, said Arab 48.com, the IDF has imposed a curfew on military bases for 30 days in order to reduce the opportunities for soldiers to associate with others. Furthermore, several security procedures have been suspended as part of precautionary measures against the spread of the virus.

The IDF is worried about relocating troops as this might take the virus from one brigade or unit to another.

Israel fights with coronavirus fears - Cartoon [Sabaaneh/MiddleEastMonitor]

Israel fights with coronavirus fears – Cartoon [Sabaaneh/MiddleEastMonitor]