About a thousand doses of Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccines meant for front-line health workers in Gaza has been blocked by Israel’s COGAT ( The Israeli military body that runs civilian affairs in the occupied Palestinian territories).
Palestinian Health Minister Mai Alkaila said in a statement on Monday that Israel bore “full responsibility” for blocking the shipment acquired by the Palestinian Authority (PA), which governs parts of the Israeli-occupied West.
Hamas (which governs the Gaza strip and also defends Gaza from Israeli state terrorism) termed Israel’s blockade of doses destined for Gaza health workers through its blockade of the territory as a “violation of international law”.
According to Al Jazeera’s Harry Fawcett, who reports from West Jerusalem, “Lawmakers in the Knesset continued to discuss whether or not to allow the vaccines into Gaza.”
“As far as members of the largely Palestinian-Israeli Joint List is concerned, this is withholding essential healthcare from an occupation population and therefore a WAR CRIME,” said Fawcett.