The Palestinian National Authority's (PNA) top cleric on Tuesday issued a fatwa banning the issuance of marriage contract without a certificate that proves the couple is free from A/H1N1 virus.

The religious ruling was made after more swine flue cases were registered in the West Bank.

In his fatwa, Chief Justice Tayseer al-Tamimi ordered the religious courts in the Palestinian territories not to complete the wedding legal procedures unless the couple brings a document from the Health Ministry proving they are not hit by the flu virus.

Al-Tamimi said the fatwa aims at curbing the spread of the virus in the West Bank.

The Health Ministry said today that two new cases were discovered in the cities of Ramallah and Bethlehem, raising the number of A/H1N1 cases in the Palestinian territories to 69. No death cases were reported.

(Xinhua News Agency July 8, 2009)