petrol

“We, as Palestinians, don’t have petrol or big companies. Our main agricultural crop is olives,” he adds.

"For ministers to stand up and say this is good for farmers like me, for agriculture, they are chucking petrol onto a rather hot fire at the moment."

In a move which could be likened to swallowing half a paracetamol for acute appendicitis, the government made sure people were paying slightly less than the market rate for a litre of petrol.

The mandate will become tougher next year ahead of a complete ban on new diesel and petrol cars in 2035, but car makers have suggested the rules could threaten jobs.

Hotels' restaurants have opened and there is a petrol station with a shop trading on Sundays.