Palestinian health minister warns against dramatic increase of COVID-19 cases

Palestinian health minister has warned against an exponential increase in the confirmed cases of coronavirus infections across the Israeli-occupied territories as the Palestinian Authority is struggling to cope with the pandemic with its limited resources and weak healthcare system besides the Tel Aviv regime’s restrictions.

Speaking at a press conference in the central West Bank city of Ramallah on Wednesday, Mai al-Kaila said Palestinian medical officials had recorded 45 new coronavirus cases in the occupied lands over the past 24 hours, raising the total number there to 745.

Kaila also announced the recovery of 570 patients since March 5, noting that five people have also lost their lives.

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Currently, 170 patients are receiving treatment in health facilities, according to the senior Palestinian official.

“Infections increased following our attempt to bring daily life in Palestine to normal to balance economy and health. But unfortunately, the medical protocol was not implemented,” al-Kaila said.

She also called on Palestinians to abide by social distancing and wear gloves and facemasks “which should be a basic and important part of their daily life,” warning against “a dramatic increase in the number of infected cases” in case precautionary measures are not taken into consideration.

The Palestinian health minister, meanwhile, stated that a full lockdown would not be imposed in the West Bank.

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Back in April, the Chair of the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with Palestine, Manu Pineda, called on the European Union (EU) to pressure the Israeli regime into removal of all restrictions that hamper effective responses to the outbreak pandemic in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Pineda also urged the EU to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which grants Israel privileged access to his bloc’s programs and unprecedented integration.

“We know that simply asking Israel to respect international law will fall on deaf ears. The EU must use conditionality to force Israeli compliance with its obligations and this means suspending the EU-Israel Association Agreement. For generations, Palestinians have lived under a permanent humanitarian crisis created by Israel. The COVID-19 pandemic threatens to make an already desperate situation worse,” he noted.

“With COVID-19 cases reported in military prisons where Palestinians are held, it becomes imperative for Israel to release all political prisoners including the almost 200 Palestinian children it holds under degrading conditions. Israel’s routine demolition of Palestinian homes is grotesque. Continuing to do so during the COVID-19 pandemic shows the extent Israel is prepared to go to dehumanize Palestinians,” Pineda said.

He also sounded alarm over the deteriorating health conditions in the blockaded Gaza Strip, saying, “The world can no longer ignore Gaza’s plight. Israel’s blockade is illegal and a form of collective punishment. Israel’s prohibition of so-called dual-use items from entering Gaza deprives hospitals of life saving medical equipment, this is criminal! Israel must lift the blockade now.”

“The EU must not wait for the COVID-19 pandemic to claim a massive death toll in Gaza. The EU has a legal and moral responsibility to spare no effort to force Israel to lift the blockade or to scale-back its relations with Israel otherwise. Given the immense material needs on the ground, the EU must increase its financial support for UNRWA and other humanitarian efforts,” Pineda concluded.

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