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<font size="1"><a href="https://english.palinfo.com/articles/2020/4/25/Coronavirus-Gaza-copes-efficiently-despite-severe-resources-shortage">https://english.palinfo.com/articles/2020/4/25/Coronavirus-Gaza-copes-efficiently-despite-severe-resources-shortage</a></font>
<h1 class="gmail-reader-title">Coronavirus: Gaza copes efficiently despite severe resources shortage</h1>
<div class="gmail-credits gmail-reader-credits">By Motasem Dalloul - April 25, 2020<br></div>
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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.<p>
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.</p><p>
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.</p><p>
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.</p><p>
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.</p><p>
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.</p><p>
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:</p><p>
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.</p><p>
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.</p><p>
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.</p><p>
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.”</p><p>
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.</p><p>
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.</p><p>
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.</p><p>
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.</p><p>
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.</p><p>
<em>- Motasem A Dalloul is MEMO’s correspondent in the Gaza Strip.</em></p></div></div>
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