An Israeli center-left opposition party leader and former general sparked an outcry this week when he made rare criticism of the toll of the war on Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

By Friday, Bnei Brak had become the country's worst hot spot and now resembles a ghost town. “An outbreak in Bnei Brak is the same as an outbreak in Tel Aviv. Influential Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky of Bnei Brak said closing religious seminaries is more harmful than the virus. Jerusalem and Bnei Brak, home to large ultra-Orthodox communities, have the largest concentrations. The government is also sending in troops to help local authorities in Bnei Brak.