RAMALLAH

The Palestinian Authority urged the Red Cross on Sunday to intervene to protect Palestinians in Israeli prisons from the novel coronavirus.

Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki made the request in a statement to International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) President Peter Maurer.

Among the prisoners are those who are suffering from chronic diseases, al-Maliki said, urging Maurer to work for their release.

According to official data, there are 5,000 Palestinians in Israeli prisons, including 700 suffering from chronic illnesses.

The novel coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19, was first detected in Wuhan, China in December. There are currently more than 721,000 cases worldwide and nearly 34,000 deaths with over 149,000 recoveries, according to U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.

Despite the severity of the virus, most people experience mild symptoms and recover.