After Opposition to Israel... First Vaccine Supply to Gaza Strip

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] COVID-19 vaccines have been supplied to the Gaza Strip in Palestine for the first time. Israel, which had opposed vaccine supplies to the Gaza Strip, changed its stance following international criticism.

Mai Al-Kaila, the Palestinian Authority Minister of Health, stated on the 17th (local time) that 2,000 doses of the Russian-made vaccine 'Sputnik V' were sent to the Gaza Strip, according to AP News.

The Gaza Strip is expected to begin vaccinations immediately. A health official said, as reported by The Washington Post, "Patients with underlying conditions who are vulnerable to COVID-19 infection, such as dialysis patients and transplant recipients, are the top priority for vaccination."

To access the Gaza Strip by land, one must go through Israel and Egypt, as the area is governed by the armed faction Hamas. The Palestinian Authority announced on the 15th (local time) that Israel had blocked the supply of COVID-19 vaccines entering the Gaza Strip.

There have been criticisms that Israel deliberately delayed vaccine supplies to the Gaza Strip. The controversy intensified when statements emerged from Israeli politicians linking prisoner exchanges and the return of fallen soldiers' remains to vaccine supply.

Approximately 2 million people live crowded in refugee camps and other areas in the narrow coastal Gaza Strip. So far, the officially reported cumulative confirmed cases are about 53,000, with 538 deaths. However, experts believe that unreported cases and deaths are significantly higher than the official statistics.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.