Palestinian Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip on Sunday called on the international community to exert pressure on the Israeli occupation authorities to lift the 13-year-long blockade on the enclave given the outbreak of coronavirus.
Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health Yousef Abu al-Rish said in a written statement “We raise our voice and ask the whole world to help lift the siege on Gaza to enable it to face the coronavirus pandemic.”
He added “We reassure our people that Gaza is free of any coronavirus patients except the two cases we announced” confirming that the medical teams are highly ready to deal with the cases.
At dawn Sunday Gaza’s Ministry of Health announced the first two cases of Covid-19 (coronavirus) which raises the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus disease in the West Bank and Gaza Strip together to 59.
The health system in the Gaza Strip is close to collapse due to the blockade imposed on the enclave for over a decade. All crossings connecting the seaside area with the outside world through Egypt or the Palestinian territories occupied since 1948 are closed most of the time.
