RAMALLAH, West Bank — As part of measures to prevent the spread of bird flu, the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture in Ramallah culled thousands of young birds imported from Israel, thus inflicting huge material losses on Palestinian farmers in the West Bank.

The ministry announced in a statement Dec. 14 strict preventive measures in the wake of the outbreak of bird flu within the Green Line, after the Israeli Veterinary Services informed veterinary authorities in the West Bank about the registration of clusters of the flu (H5N8) in different areas within the Green Line, specifically at turkey, poultry and poultry barns.

After the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture announced Oct. 14 the discovery of a cluster of bird flu in an agricultural kibbutz that was infected through migratory birds, the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture banned the entry of poultry and poultry products into the Palestinian market without it issuing the necessary papers.

Mohammad Mahareeq, owner and director of Al-Mahareeq Investment Company for Poultry in Hebron in the southern West Bank, suffered a heavy loss after the Ministry of Agriculture, with the help of the customs police and the security services, culled Dec. 14, 15,000 broiler turkeys no more than two weeks old, two days after the farm was seized for violating the ministerial decision to ban poultry imports.