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Israel aggravates effects of coronavirus on Palestinians

Wednesday, 10 March 2021 1:27 AM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 10 March 2021 1:28 AM ]

Ashraf Shannon
PRESS TV, Gaza

Israel continues to aggravate the effects of coronavirus on Palestinians. Some two million Palestinians in Gaza are at an increasing risk of contracting the virus amid a severely battered healthcare system, which is largely attributable to the Israeli regime’s ongoing blockade.

The Gaza Strip has logged more than 56,000 COVID-19 infections and over 550 deaths, mostly since late August 2020. Currently there are around 2,000 active cases in the enclave with dozens of COVID-19 patients still in intensive care units.

Local authorities in Gaza have been desperately fighting to prevent the spread of COVID-19 despite the limited resources. Hospitals in the Gaza Strip are struggling with the Israeli blockade that continues to undermine their efforts to combat the deadly pandemic.

The Israeli regime continues to place tight restrictions on the entry of humanitarian supplies including medicines and hospital equipment.

On Monday the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory Lynn Hastings said the Israeli regime has exacerbated the effects of coronavirus on Palestinians especially women. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics more than fifty percent of Palestinians infected with the coronavirus were women.

The extensive nature of the Israeli blockade has had a devastating impact on the health and well-being of Palestinians in Gaza. Israeli inhumane practices have battered the enclave’s health sector since 2007.

Experts say the coronavirus pandemic has complicated the already dire humanitarian situation in the blockaded Gaza Strip. COVID-19 remains a serious concern due to the capacity gaps in Gaza’s health system.

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