“The Gaza Strip is not prepared for a serious corona outbreak,” said Abdel Nasser Soboh, head of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Gaza. “The tactic now is to keep the virus out for as long as possible. But the question is, how long do we keep that up?”
Gaza has been living under a blockade of Israel and Egypt since the takeover of power by strict Islamic Hamas in 2007, supported by the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. Partly because of this, the economy is in a very bad state. Half of the population lives below the poverty line.
Fewer travelers
But in times of corona, isolation from the outside world is suddenly an advantage. “It is the first time in my life that the block has a positive effect,” said doctor Khashan. In fact, Gaza has been in quarantine for thirteen years, WHO head Soboh says, “And the fewer travelers from outside, the less chance of infection.”
The few travelers who still enter Gaza – mainly Palestinians returning from abroad – are required to go to one of the 23 quarantine centers improvised by Hamas. They have to stay there for three weeks. Only when they test negative for the virus can they go home.
That strategy ran into problems when test kits ran out last week. However, a supply of new test products provided temporary relief.
Small rapprochement
In the fight against the virus, there seems to be some Israeli-Palestinian rapprochement. A United Nations envoy complimented the cooperation on admitting relief supplies to Gaza. And some Palestinian doctors from Gaza have received training from Israeli colleagues on how to treat corona patients in recent weeks.
But hostility remains high. Hamas arrested Palestinian political activists who participated in a video conference with Israelis last week. Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar also threatened violence against Israel if there was insufficient aid.
In turn, despite the call for relief from the stifling sanctions, Israel remains firmly committed to the economic blockade. According to the country, this is necessary to prevent Hamas from getting its hands on weapons. The movement is seen as a terror organization by Israel and the West.
No social distancing
Meanwhile, doctors and nurses in Gaza are preparing for the worst case scenario. “Gaza can only maintain the strict measures for a limited time,” said WHO Division Director Soboh. “Because the quarantine centers demand a lot in terms of manpower and resources. That will stop once.”
The main goal is to buy time. And meanwhile prepare for the almost inevitable outbreak. Currently, according to the WHO, care in Gaza can handle up to a hundred corona patients. With the set-up of a corona hospital, it should be five hundred. But the question is whether that is enough.
Because with almost two million inhabitants on an area of twice Texel social distancing hardly an option for many Gazans. To limit contacts, Hamas has closed schools, mosques, and wedding halls and banned large gatherings. At the moment, however, hopes are mainly focused on keeping the virus out for as long as possible.
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