Twenty-one new influenza A/H1N1 cases were diagnosed on Tuesday in Israel, the country's Health Ministry said.

The latest cases have brought the total number of confirmed cases of the globally spreading disease to 152 in the Jewish state since April.

Earlier on Tuesday, local news service Ynet reported that 14 additional A/H1N1 flu cases have been diagnosed in Israel, bringing the number of confirmed cases to 131.

On Thursday, the World Health Organization (WHO) raised the A/H1N1 alert to phase six, its highest level, formally declaring that it had developed into a global pandemic.

The number of confirmed cases of A/H1N1 flu in the world has reached 35,928, including 163 deaths, according to a latest update of the WHO.

(Xinhua News Agency June 17, 2009)