A woman in her 60s has become the first recorded death in Palestine on 25 March due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, 64 people have so far tested positive for the virus in Palestinian territories.

Prayers at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque have also been suspended as of 23 March in a rare move aimed at combating the spread of the pandemic.

Palestinian Medical Relief Society, expresses its relief at the release of youth volunteers Bashir Nasser, Malak Obaid and Ahmad Al Jabari who were arrested.

"We as a cohesive society can surmount the coronavirus crisis with our calm reasonable attitudes that are considerate not only of one’s safety and that of one’s family, but extends to others as well. With that, we can quickly defeat this disease and its distressing impact."

The 16 cases in Palestine add to the more than 100,000 cases confirmed by the World Health Organization (WHO).