[News] Coronavirus: Gaza copes efficiently despite severe resources shortage

[Anti-Imperialist News]

https://english.palinfo.com/articles/2020/4/25/Coronavirus-Gaza-copes-efficiently-despite-severe-resources-shortage
Coronavirus:
Gaza copes efficiently despite severe resources shortage
By Motasem Dalloul - April 25, 2020
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As of 23 April, the number of coronavirus cases around the world has
reached 2,699,462 and the number of deaths has peaked at 188,930. The
numbers are still multiplying in many countries, posing grave challenges
ahead of many countries, including the most developed, with the best
medical equipment and economic resources.

There is no need to cite examples of what these countries are doing and the
extent of the suffering they are enduring. This article concerns one of the
most densely populated areas on earth – the Gaza Strip. It is likely the
40th most densely populated urban area, globally. This article will discuss
how it has been dealing successfully with protecting itself from the
coronavirus.

Under the Israeli occupation, the Gaza Strip is considered the largest
open-air prison in the world. Since 2006, the Gaza Strip has been enduring
a strict air, sea and ground siege imposed by Israel and Egypt, and backed
by the international community, mainly the Western powers and the US. This
coastal enclave has undergone several Israeli offensives, including three
major ones during the time of the siege.

The strict Israeli siege, along with the Israeli offensives, caused serious
damage in all infrastructures in Gaza, mainly the medical sector, which has
been suffering from a severe shortage of medical equipment and medicine,
and many of its facilities are in urgent need of renovation in order to be
fit for offering basic healthcare services.

The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza has launched an urgent appeal worth
$23 million and has announced that it needs to increase the free ICU beds
from 74 to 100, as well as to increase its respirators from 70 to 100,
pointing out this is the least required facilities that would help it cope
with a possible coronavirus outbreak.

However, the Israeli occupation has always warned that if the Gaza Strip
was hit with the coronavirus, it would also be affected. Therefore, Israeli
officials have claimed that the Israeli occupation authorities permitted
the required equipment to reach Gaza – but that has never been the truth.
Just two days ago, the Israeli Hebrew newspaper Maariv revealed that the
Israel defense minister had stopped carrying out coronavirus tests, which
had been carried out for only two days before it was stopped, and was done
without the knowledge of the political leadership.

Under these circumstances, which reflect a bleak situation in the Gaza
Strip, Gazan rulers are showing a wise and astute governance in relation to
the coronavirus situation. They have been successful in their leadership
for several reasons as outlined:

Firstly, the strict protective measures imposed on the Gazan residents,
mainly with those who were abroad and have returned home. The government in
Gaza, which is run by Hamas, immediately prepared quarantine centers for
thousands of people and did not make room for any exceptions, even for
senior Hamas leaders. A senior delegation of Palestinian factions appealed
to the Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Al-Sinwar, in order to return home after
an international tour, but he refused and told them to follow the example
of Hamas senior leaders in quarantine.

Hamas believes that the only successful means to win the battle against the
coronavirus is to follow strict pre-emptive measures, so is dealing with
this issue stringently.

Secondly, the government in Gaza transformed several schools into very
well-equipped quarantine centers with hundreds of beds. Several hotel
owners donated their hotels to the Ministry of Health to temporarily use as
quarantine centers, however, all the rooms in schools and hotels became
quickly occupied. The government stopped the entry of the returnees from
abroad until it had received a newly built and equipped quarantine center
with 1,000 beds each in a separate room with a separate toilet and hygiene
kits, in addition to several other schools which were also prepared to host
people for their 20-day quarantine. All of the 1,000 rooms were built by
Hamas and under the direct supervision of Hamas leaders in Gaza.

Thirdly, as the Israeli occupation has been unwilling to help Gaza to
afford respirators and equip new ICU beds, Hamas did its best to afford the
urgently needed respirators and equipment to prepare and equip the 100 ICU
beds. Hamas did its best to afford the devices, senior Hamas leader Khalil
Al-Hayya informed the media. He did not confirm how his movement funded
them and when they were issued to the Ministry of Health, but he affirmed:
“We are committed to protect the people in Gaza and maintain their
well-being, so we had to do our best to afford all their needs.”

Hamas leader Al-Sinwar’s warning to push the Israelis to live in shelters
was a response to the Israeli Defense Minister Naftali Bennett, when he
announced that any medical aid to be allowed to Gaza must be following the
release of the Israeli soldiers, or the bodies of the Israeli soldiers,
captured in the Gaza Strip. I think this is the warning that pushed the
Israeli occupation to allow the entry of the requested respirators and
medical equipment through the World Health Organisation.

The fourth point of success relates to Hamas leader Ismael Haniyeh’s
continued mobilizing support for the Palestinians of Gaza. I was told by a
Hamas leader that when the Qatari Emir pledged millions of US dollars to
the Palestinians, Haniyeh asked him to send the assistance allocated to
Gaza separately because the Palestinian Authority (PA), which has its own
sanctions imposed on Gaza, does not send the portion of the assistance
allocated to Gaza.

Another area of achievement concerns the fact that the government in Gaza,
run by Hamas, is not plagued with corruption like in the West Bank or the
neighboring states. There is no need to mention the corruption in the
neighboring states, but in the West Bank for example, the PA governor of
Bethlehem has stolen shipments of aid offered by charities for the families
of the people in quarantine.

The sixth and last point: the Palestinians in Gaza, even the political
rivals, trust Hamas’ ability in dealing with threats. For example, Hamas’
opposition who criticize it, acknowledge its ability to afford security
inside the besieged enclave and they recognize its efforts. During this
time of the coronavirus, all of the Gaza residents, including the rivals of
the Hamas’ government are helping it carrying out its duties, because it is
universally-believed and recognized that it is a serious threat and that
Hamas is the only body able to tackle it.

Gaza has registered only 17 coronavirus cases; all of them contracted the
virus either from other countries before returning to Gaza, or from the
security services who were guarding them in the quarantine centers. Nine
cases have recovered and the others are recovering well, according to the
Ministry of Health.

*- Motasem A Dalloul is MEMO’s correspondent in the Gaza Strip.*
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