Shalom and good evening, this is TV7 Israel
News broadcast to you from Jerusalem;
And in today’s top stories;
In light of the ongoing battle against the
corona contagion, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu announced a series of new government
enacted measures, ahead of the Biblical holiday
of Passover - including a nation-wide lockdown.
Iran’s Deputy Health Minister Iraj Harirchi
once again rejected an offer by the United
States to grant Iran humanitarian assistance;
Instead, urging Washington to lift its sanctions
on the regime-controlled institutions and
assets.
Reports reveal that hackers working in the
interests of the Iranian government have attempted
to break into the personal email accounts
of staff at the World Health Organization
during the coronavirus outbreak.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases
throughout the state of Israel has increased
to 9,006, as of eight o’clock this morning;
out of whom 153 are classified by health authorities
as critically ill.
I’m sad to report that the number of fatalities
has also increased since yesterday, with the
Health Ministry confirming that eight Israelis
succumbed to the disease, raising the total
number to 59 victims.
In contrast, I’m glad to report that the
number of Israelis healed has leaped by almost
100 individuals since yesterday, from 585
to 683 in total.
And while Israeli authorities are making every
effort to limit the uncontrollable spread
of the corona contagion; police units have
stepped up enforcement efforts ahead of the
Biblical Passover holiday, by means of educating
the public, as well as the use of more forceful
measures, which are comprised of financial
fines and even detention of insubordinate
civilians.
Among several other cases, police units were
dispatched to the ultra-Orthodox neighborhood
of Mea Shearim in Jerusalem, where a confirmed
coronavirus carrier was successfully located
and apprehended.
“Report was received at the station, in
the Jerusalem district's hotline, regarding
a suspected corona patient who escaped from
quarantine in (the city of) Netanya.
According to our location trackers and our
professional work, we were able to locate
the house he was hiding in, within the (ultra-orthodox)
Mea Shearim neighborhood (Jerusalem).
We were able to locate the house with the
assistance of the special unit for the treatment
of ultra-Orthodox Jews.
We managed to surround the suspect's house.
We arrested the suspect.
At the moment, we apprehended him safely in
a police unit with a protected force, and
we will transfer him to the paramedics of
MADA medical service for further treatment
and transfer to Netanya.”
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu announced a series of new government
enacted measures, ahead of the Biblical holiday
of Passover.
Speaking in a televised address to the nation,
the Israeli leader asserted that this week
would prove to be a critical juncture for
both Israel and the world.
“We are in a critical week, for the world
and for the State of Israel.
It is critical because in the battle to block
the coronavirus, these days will determine
the direction – progress or retreat, and
for many people, life or death.”
Netanyahu insisted that while the situation
of the Jewish state is far better than other
countries around the globe, Jerusalem cannot
be complacent, as there are no shortcuts when
it comes to the health and lives of the citizens
of Israel.
“This once-in-a-century wild storm is claiming
victims around the world, from all peoples
without distinction, and is rocking the economies
of many countries.
Our situation is better.
Thanks to the systematic steps that we have
taken and that we are taking, simply put,
the trend is improving.
But whoever thinks that it is possible to
end the corona crisis just like that is sorely
mistaken.
Our ancestral wisdom teaches that there is
a 
short way that is long, and a long way that
is short.
When it comes to your health and your lives,
citizens of Israel, there can be no shortcuts.”
The Israeli premier went on to stress that
the generations old customs undertaken during
the holiday of Passover cannot bring about
the consequences of the celebrations during
last month’s Biblical holiday of Purim,
during which the coronavirus spread uncontrollably
throughout the Jewish State.
“We saw what happened one month ago during
the events of Purim.
Infection with the virus spread in broad circles.
I will say it here as clearly as possible:
Passover will not be Purim.
Every family will have the Passover seder
on its own.
Celebrate only with the immediate family members
who are now with you at home.”
Netanyahu went on to list the government’s
newly enacted restrictive measures, which
were subsequently ratified by the cabinet’s
special ministerial committee, this afternoon.
The measures include a general, nation-wide,
lockdown throughout the entire state of Israel,
which has taken effect at 7 PM, earlier this
evening.
The general lockdown effectively forces Israeli
to remain within their respective neighborhoods,
with an enforced curfew each night, until
after the first part of the Passover holiday
concludes, early Friday morning.
And while the government ratcheted-up its
nation-wide restrictions, Prime Minister Netanyahu
announced that there are positive signs for
Israel on the horizon.
“Even as the directives are being stiffened,
I am pleased to inform you that there are
positive signs on the horizon.
But I would ask you at the same time, do not
become complacent.
We cannot become complacent.
We are moving forward with preparations for
the scenarios regarding exiting from the crisis.
This will happen only after the end of Passover
and Mimouna, and identical rules will be applied
regarding the holidays of our non-Jewish brothers
and sisters.
But there is a real possibility that if the
positive trends in Israel continue, we will
gradually exit the lockdown after Passover
and Mimouna.
First and foremost, citizens of Israel, it
depends on you.
It depends on the degree to which you adhere
to the hard instructions that we are issuing
to you for the benefit of all.”
Turning now to the Islamic Republic of Iran,
where President Hassan Rouhani announced a
decision by the regime regarding the resumption
of operations for low-risk businesses throughout
the country, by the 11th of April, excluding
Tehran – were the corona contagion continues
to rage uncontrollably.
"Decisions were made today in regards to economic
activity.
From April 11, the country's medium sized
and low-risk businesses can resume their activity,
but high-risk businesses remain banned until
the end of April, with a decision to be made
at a later date."
Despite the fact that the regime does not
manage to control the spread of the contagion
in the Iranian capital, the regime made a
decision to resume its low-risk economic activities
from the 18th of April.
"Under the supervision of the health ministry,
all those low-risk economic activities in
Tehran will resume from Saturday, April 18."
Meanwhile in Tehran, Iran’s Deputy Health
Minister Iraj Harirchi once again rejected
an offer by the United States to grant Iran
humanitarian assistance.
Instead, Harirchi asserted that if Washington
is keen on helping the Iran, it should lift
its sanctions on the regime-controlled institutions.
"We don't need help from 
the US (to combat coronavirus), If the U.S.
released our assets which they have boycotted
unjustly, and stopped banning us from international
trade, and stopped imposing sanction on our
banks and other organizations, we would be
capable of solving our problems by our own
means.
We don't need these nonsense offers of help
from the U.S."
The Iranian Deputy Health Minister further
blatantly ridiculed western powers for their
inability to save the lives of their own elderly
citizens.
"Our situation is not like in European countries
or Canada where they claim to be world leaders
or in the top seven industrialized nations
but are struggling to treat patients over
the age of 70, or diabetic patients or patients
with cardiovascular issues, into the ICU.
We have elderly patients who have stayed in
ICU and survived."
And while Iran boasts of its ability to save
the lives of its people, The London-based
Reuters news agency reported that Hackers
working in the interests of the Iranian government
have attempted to break into the personal
email accounts of staff at the World Health
Organization during the coronavirus outbreak.
And while it is not clear if any accounts
were successfully compromised, Reuters cited
four officials that the Iranian hackers were
clearly seeking information with regard to
the outbreak of the corona contagion.
The World Health Organization’s spokesman
Tarik Jasarevic confirmed that personal email
accounts of the organization’s personnel
were being targeted by hackers but stopped
short from confirming Iran’s responsibility.
