An outbreak of hoof-and-mouth disease is spreading through Arab-owned livestock in Judea and Samaria. The disease, which first broke out approximately 40 days ago, has spread from northern Samaria to southern Judea.

Palestinian Authority officials blamed Israel for the outbreak, saying that Israel had prevented veterinarians from traveling freely to treat affected livestock. Israeli officials denied the claims, adding that Israel had given the veterinarians 600,000 doses of serum to treat the disease, after the PA claimed it could not afford it.

PA officials failed to report the spread to the local Arab population. Farmers first heard of the outbreak from Israeli radio broadcasts in Arabic.