Danny Danon
Danny DanonReuters

On Thursday, the Palestinian Authority representative to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, sent a letter to the Security Council, accusing Israel of hampering the Palestinian Authority's efforts to combat the spread of the coronavirus in PA territory, and exploiting the emergency situation to demolish Palestinian homes and expand “settlements”.

In his letter to council members, Mansour notes that in recent days, Israel confiscated equipment intended for the construction of first aid tents, arrested four Palestinians while scavenging public facilities and obstructed Palestinian volunteers in Hebron who were disinfecting neighborhoods and conducting advocacy activities for residents.

The letter also states that IDF soldiers are spitting on Palestinian vehicles and door handles to instill fear in the Palestinian population. Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh has also made similar accusations.

Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, said in response that "even during an international crisis, the Palestinians are unable to break free from their repetitive and baseless complaints. The contempt they have for the truth and how to address a crisis situation is unparalleled. With one hand, they receive Israeli aid to curb the coronavirus in PA territory, and with the other they continue to make false allegations against Israel at the United Nations."

Danon added that "those who exploit this crisis to condemn the soldiers of the IDF must be ashamed."