The High Court of Justice has decided to reject the petitions filed against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Likud-Blue and White coalition agreement, paving the way for the establishment of the government and the swearing-in of the ministers next Wednesday.

After two days of deliberations on Sunday and Monday, the court announced its decision Wednesday night. The panel of 11 judges unanimously rejected all the eight petitions.

“There is no legal reason to interfere with the tasking of Knesset Member Benjamin Netanyahu with forming a government” the court stated.

Regarding the coalition agreement, the judges stated that “although the coalition agreement between the Blue and White and Likud factions raises considerable legal difficulties, at this time there is no need to intervene in any of its clauses.”

Eight left-wing organizations filed petitions claiming that Netanyahu, who has been indicted, could not hold office, and that the coalition agreement between the Likud party and Blue and White was illegal.

Netanyahu’s trial on charges of bribery and misconduct in three cases is slated to begin later this month.

The coalition between Likud and Blue and White to establish a government requires special legislation to anchor the agreement which enables Netanyahu of the Likud party and Blue and White Chairman Benny Gantz to rotate the premiership after 18 months.

The court ruled that this was “an exceptional coalition agreement, some of which its provisions cause considerable difficulties. However, it is not yet time to examine these claims.”

The court is waiting for the agreement to become enshrined in law before it rules on its legality, meaning that the Netanyahu-Gantz may still face legal challenges that could lead to the fourth round of elections in Israel within a year’s time.

The Knesset plenum on Wednesday continued a series of marathon debates on some 9,000 objections to Basic Law Proposal: The Government (Amendment – Alternating Government).

The proposed legislative amendments are designed to allow the coalition agreement between the Likud and Blue and White parliamentary groups to be implemented.

The bill to amend the basic law deals with the structure of the rotation government, defining it as an equal government, in which both blocs that will make up the coalition will have an equal number of ministers and deputy ministers.

The bill further deals with the swearing-in of the prime minister and the alternate prime minister as soon as the government is established, the date on which the transfer of power between the incumbent prime minister and the alternate prime minister shall take place, and the daily conduct of the government.

The coalition-to-be has voted down all the objections and the bill is slated to pass on Thursday, clearing the path for the formation of government next week.

IDF tanks on Tuesday night bombed several Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip in response to a rocket attack on Israel earlier in the evening.

Gaza-based terrorists launched one rocket at Israel’s south. The rocket exploded in an open space, causing no casualties or damage.

In response, IDF tanks shelled three Hamas positions near the Gaza border. There were no available reports on casualties or damage.

This rocket attack occurred after over a month of quiet in the area.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu participated in the leaders’ conference on dealing with the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic with the European Union’s (EU) leadership and leaders from other countries, at the personal invitation of EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

The leaders’ summit focused on improving the international efforts to develop solutions for dealing with the Coronavirus, with an emphasis on developing and producing a vaccine and developing drugs and equipment for patients.

Leaders from around the world, senior officials from international organizations including the Gates Fund were in attendance. The leaders discussed fostering cross-country cooperation in finding medical tools in the struggle against the Coronavirus.

Netanyahu announced during the online meeting that Israel will invest $60 million in research and development in the fields of diagnostics, therapies and developing drugs and a vaccine for the Coronavirus.

Netanyahu told the conference that “defeating the global pandemic demands a global partnership.”

He noted Israel’s “relatively low” casualties from the virus which are the result of “early action to contain the disease, advance technology to locate those infected, first-rate medical professionals and a disciplined population that largely adhered to the mitigation policies” enacted by Israel.

He underscored that the epidemic “is far from over. At best, we’re only at the end of the beginning,” and Israel is now trying to find the “right balance” between protecting the health of its citizens by preventing another spike in infections while enabling the reopening of the economy.

He called on the European leaders to “work together on improving diagnostics, accelerating therapies and ultimately developing a vaccine.”

He expressed confidence that “Israel’s leading research institutions, its world-renowned scientists and our unique culture of innovation can enable us to play an important role in advancing solutions on all three fronts.”

Hours after the conference, the Israel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR) in Ness Ziona announced a significant breakthrough in finding an antidote to the Coronavirus.

The researchers have developed an antibody that attacks the virus uniquely and can neutralize it in a patient’s body.

“We hope to work with other countries to leverage our unique capabilities to find solutions for the benefit of all,” he said.

Among the participating heads of government and ministers were French President Emanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Jordanian King Abdullah II, Omani Health Minister Dr. Ahmed Al-Saidi, Saudi Arabian Health Minister Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and World Economic Forum Chairman Klaus Schwab.

The Israeli Leumit Health Services, in cooperation with the IDF Technology and Logistics Branch, has developed an innovative and first-of-its-kind testing unit for carrying out coronavirus tests without the need for protective equipment for the person administering the test.

The unit allows for taking coronavirus samples while maintaining complete separation between the person being tested and the medical professional administering the test, without the passage of air between them. The unit is built with positive air pressure inside the chamber; testers do not have to wear expensive protective equipment, which is in short supply and impedes their work.

The unit was planned and developed by the IDF Ground Forces Technology Unit and the IDF Technology and Logistics Branch Refitting and Maintenance Center.

Leumit Health Services will be the first HMO to use the unit.

As part of the national effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus, Leumit Health Services has set up dozens of sample-taking centers at existing clinics throughout the country and operates four mobile coronavirus testing vehicles.

“The innovative testing unit that was developed in conjunction with the IDF will significantly expand the number of people who can be safely tested for the coronavirus while saving on protective equipment,” Leumit stated.

Leumit Health Services Director Nissim Alon welcomed the new development and noted that “from now on, Leumit can offer its customers a range of possibilities for carrying out coronavirus tests, at the new units, at the sample-taking centers and via the mobile vehicles.”

The MDA emergency medical service, which has been entrusted with sampling suspected patients around the country, has also deployed a similar unit.

The IDF arrested five Sudanese citizens who attempted to cross into Israel from Lebanon on Saturday night, the army stated.

” During the night, IDF forces detected five suspects who tried to cross from Lebanon into Israeli territory. The suspects were apprehended during the crossing attempt on the perimeter fence,” an IDF spokesperson stated.

No one was injured in the incident. The five were returned to Lebanon.

Israel in recent years has become a sought-after destination by work migrants from Africa, coming primarily through Egypt. Israel in recent years has built a fence along the Egyptian border to block the flow of work migrants, bringing down the number of infiltrators annually from thousands to a mere few.

It appears that the African work migrants are seeking new ways to illegally enter the country.