A healthcare worker of Asl Roma 1 holds a syringe after the vaccination of a resident with a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at the Villa Verde elderly care home in Rome, as part of the coronavirus vaccination campaign in Italy, January 7, 2021. Photo: REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane

Following criticism, Israel’s Prison Service announced Sunday that it will vaccinate all prisoners for the coronavirus, including imprisoned Palestinian terrorists.

In an official statement, the Prison Service spokesperson said that its staff has now been vaccinated and inoculation of prisoners will begin on Monday.

“Tomorrow, 18 January 2021, the operation to vaccinate prisoners will begin,” said the statement.

“In order to ensure success,” the statement added, “a pilot vaccination of around 20 prisoners has been undertaken in the last hour.”

Criticism erupted in recent days after Minister of Public Security Amir Ohana said Palestinian security prisoners — who have usually committed terror offenses — will be inoculated only after all other prisoners have received the vaccine, France 24 reported.

Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit objected strongly to this policy, and pro-Palestinian NGOs denounced it, prompting Ohana to reverse his position.