Long-time chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat is in critical condition with coronavirus complications and was placed in a medically induced coma on Monday.
Mr Erekat, 65, was admitted to the coronavirus intensive care unit at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem on Sunday with "chronic health problems in the respiratory system", the Palestine Liberation Organisation said.
He tested positive for Covid-19 on October 9.
The hospital said Mr Erekat "arrived in serious condition" but was stable and received oxygen on Sunday.
On Monday morning, it said that after a "quiet night" his condition "deteriorated and is now defined critical".
It said that became of respiratory distress Mr Erekat was "anaesthetised and ventilated".
Mr Erekat, who lives in Jericho in the occupied West Bank, underwent lung-transplant surgery in the US in 2017.
"Mr Erekat is a challenge to treat for coronavirus since he had lung transplants, he is immunosuppressed and has another bacterial infection in addition to coronavirus," the hospital said.
It said it was "in contact with international medical authorities regarding the treatment policy of this complex patient".
The PLO secretary general, who was born in Jerusalem, is part of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's inner circle.
He has been a key figure in Palestinian politics for decades, often serving as a main interlocutor for foreign envoys and the international media.
Mr Erekat has consistently voiced support for a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
Another senior PLO official, Hanan Ashrawi, announced she tested positive for the virus on October 11.
There have been 42,490 confirmed cases of the virus in the West Bank and 381 deaths.
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Coronavirus around the world
hall of shame
SUNDERLAND 2002-03
No one has ended a Premier League season quite like Sunderland. They lost each of their final 15 games, taking no points after January. They ended up with 19 in total, sacking managers Peter Reid and Howard Wilkinson and losing 3-1 to Charlton when they scored three own goals in eight minutes.
SUNDERLAND 2005-06
Until Derby came along, Sunderland’s total of 15 points was the Premier League’s record low. They made it until May and their final home game before winning at the Stadium of Light while they lost a joint record 29 of their 38 league games.
HUDDERSFIELD 2018-19
Joined Derby as the only team to be relegated in March. No striker scored until January, while only two players got more assists than goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. The mid-season appointment Jan Siewert was to end his time as Huddersfield manager with a 5.3 per cent win rate.
ASTON VILLA 2015-16
Perhaps the most inexplicably bad season, considering they signed Idrissa Gueye and Adama Traore and still only got 17 points. Villa won their first league game, but none of the next 19. They ended an abominable campaign by taking one point from the last 39 available.
FULHAM 2018-19
Terrible in different ways. Fulham’s total of 26 points is not among the lowest ever but they contrived to get relegated after spending over £100 million (Dh457m) in the transfer market. Much of it went on defenders but they only kept two clean sheets in their first 33 games.
LA LIGA: Sporting Gijon, 13 points in 1997-98.
BUNDESLIGA: Tasmania Berlin, 10 points in 1965-66
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
MANDOOB
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RESULTS
Lightweight (female)
Sara El Bakkali bt Anisha Kadka
Bantamweight
Mohammed Adil Al Debi bt Moaz Abdelgawad
Welterweight
Amir Boureslan bt Mahmoud Zanouny
Featherweight
Mohammed Al Katheeri bt Abrorbek Madaminbekov
Super featherweight
Ibrahem Bilal bt Emad Arafa
Middleweight
Ahmed Abdolaziz bt Imad Essassi
Bantamweight (female)
Ilham Bourakkadi bt Milena Martinou
Welterweight
Mohamed Mardi bt Noureddine El Agouti
Middleweight
Nabil Ouach bt Ymad Atrous
Welterweight
Nouredine Samir bt Marlon Ribeiro
Super welterweight
Brad Stanton bt Mohamed El Boukhari
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
War
Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor
Rating: Two out of five stars
