COVID-19: Top Palestinian Saeb Erekat contracts coronavirus

Ramallah: Long-time chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat, one of the most prominent Palestinian leaders on the world stage, has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, a statement said Thursday.

A statement on Twitter from the Palestine Liberation Organization’s executive committee said Erekat “has been infected with COVID-19.”

The PLO “wishes him a speedy recovery,” it added.

The 65-year-old has been a key figure in Palestinian politics for decades, often serving as a main interlocutor for foreign envoys and the international media.

He has consistently voiced support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The Jerusalem-born Erekat serves as the PLO’s secretary general and remains a stalwart presence in the inner circle of Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas.

The occupied West Bank has recorded more than 39,500 confirmed coronavirus cases, including 335 deaths.