Palestinians say vaccines could come in March, accuse Israel of shirking duty to supply them

By Nidal al-Mughrabi

 

Palestinians pray in a mosque that reopened after the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions were eased, in Gaza City January 10, 2021. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem

 

GAZA (Reuters) - The Palestinian Authority said on Sunday it expects to receive its first COVID-19 vaccine doses in March under a deal with drugmaker AstraZeneca, and accused Israel of shirking a duty to ensure vaccines are available in occupied territory.

 

While Israel has already become the world leader in vaccinations per capita, Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip have yet to secure their first supplies.

 

Yasser Bozyeh, the Palestinian general director of public health, told Reuters that in addition to reaching an agreement in principle with AstraZeneca, the Palestinians had also sought supplies from Moderna, Johnson & Johnson and Russia, which has developed the Sputnik V vaccine.

 

Supplies would also come through a World Health Organization vaccine programme for poor and middle income countries.

There was no immediate response from AstraZeneca to an emailed request from Reuters for comment.

 

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said in a statement Israel had been "ignoring its duties as an occupation power and committing racial discrimination against the Palestinian people, depriving them of their right to healthcare."

 

"The search by the Palestinian leadership to secure the vaccines from various sources doesn't exempt Israel from its responsibilities towards the Palestinian people in providing the vaccines," it said.

 

Under interim peace accords with Israel, the Palestinian Authority exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank. Hamas Islamists run the Gaza Strip.

 

Israel's vaccination programme covers the country's Arab citizens and Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem.

 

On the West Bank, it has given vaccines to Israeli settlers, but not to Palestinian residents, who receive health services from the Palestinian Authority.

 

Human rights groups including Amnesty International say Israel has a legal obligation to provide vaccines for Palestinians under occupation. Israeli officials say they could share vaccines with the Palestinians once Israel's own needs are met.

 

A WHO official said on Sunday the organisation had held "informal discussions" with Israel over allocating some supplies to the Palestinians to inoculate health workers. The official, Gerald Rockenschaub, head of the WHO office in the Palestinian territories, said Israel indicated it would explore the option.

 

(Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi in Gaza and Ali Sawafta in Ramallah; Writing by Jeffrey Heller; Editing by Peter Graff)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-01-11

 

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Did anybody expect anything different from Israel?

Israel withdrew from Gaza. It is run by Hamas. Hamas will have access to funding for vaccination. They (Israel) keep the border closed because Hamas continues to rocket and attempt to attack Israel. Egypt keeps it's part of the border tightly controlled because they too are under no illusions about Hamas.

 

As for the West Bank, I thought that it's autonomy extended to providing it's own health services. It has international funding for vaccination. Israel has, the report tells us, also agreed to consider helping the Palestinian Authority when it's own people are vaccinated.

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Did anybody expect anything different from Israel?

Why would you expect Israel to do job of Palestinian health  authority? The Palestinians run their own health system as per the Oslo Accords.  It is well financed from EU and Gulf states.  Israel provides vaccine to 1 million+ Arabs who live in Israel and Palestinians in east jerusalem already.  When I was younger I volunteered for a Church group to help bring vaccines for children in Palestinian areas. Not much interest, but much suspicion with result,  not many wanted to take Christian provided vaccine.  Palestinians have embassy in many EU countries, China, Russia. They can  get vaccine from them.

 

What happened to 4 million Sputnik doses  Palestinians were to receive from Russia on December 12?  I remember reuters article that said this and at the time  Palestinians were boasting that they did not need israel help. Now they have problem and blame Israel.

 

 

 

2 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Did anybody expect anything different from Israel?

Really? and you base this ridiculous statement on what exactly? or is an opportunity to rubbish Israel every time it mentioned in the same breath as the Palestinians? grow up buddy... now go ahead and give me the sad/confused mark...

30 minutes ago, ezzra said:

Really? and you base this ridiculous statement on what exactly? or is an opportunity to rubbish Israel every time it mentioned in the same breath as the Palestinians? grow up buddy... now go ahead and give me the sad/confused mark...

 

The OP indicates at this stage vaccine supplies are unavailable for Palestinian health care workers, Israeli citizens having the priority. One would think the Israeli government would at the very least facilitate supplies for Palestinian health care workers as matter of urgency rather than "consider" or "explore the option".

 

"Human rights groups including Amnesty International say Israel has a legal obligation to provide vaccines for Palestinians under occupation. Israeli officials say they could share vaccines with the Palestinians once Israel's own needs are met.

 

A WHO official said on Sunday the organisation had held "informal discussions" with Israel over allocating some supplies to the Palestinians to inoculate health workers. The official, Gerald Rockenschaub, head of the WHO office in the Palestinian territories, said Israel indicated it would explore the option"

37 minutes ago, ezzra said:

Really? and you base this ridiculous statement on what exactly?

I base it on the typical behavior of Israel over decades.

Israel as the occupying power has a duty of care under the Geneva Convention to look after the health of the occupied indigenous  Palestinian population.

 

"To the fullest extent of the means available to it, the Occupying Power has the duty of ensuring and maintaining, with the cooperation of national and local authorities, the medical and hospital establishments and services, public health and hygiene in the occupied territory, with particular reference to the adoption and application of the prophylactic and preventive measures necessary to combat the spread of contagious diseases and epidemics."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_Geneva_Convention#Article_56:_Hygiene_and_public_health

 

If Israel refuses to do this, then end the 53 year old illegal occupation so that a Palestinian state can look after its own health care.

As it already been said the Palestinian authorities are the sole responsible for procuring and administrating the vaccines to its people and any attempts to blame Israel for the Palestinian leadership short coming is ludicrous

but what can you do when the 'usual suspects of Israel bashers and hates are out in force eager to blame Israel no matter what?

here is a translated article from Haarat'z newspaper:

 

https://www.haaretz.co.il/health/corona/1.9379661

31 minutes ago, simple1 said:

Human rights groups including Amnesty International say Israel has a legal obligation to provide vaccines for Palestinians under occupation. Israeli officials say they could share vaccines with the Palestinians once Israel's own needs are met.

You said pal, Israel has some obligation and it will meet those obligation in time as condition permit, Israel never said that No, we are not supplying the PA with vaccine but there are priority here, what annoying is that some posters here and they know who they are just enjoy to vilify and demonize Israel for everything, right or wrong ...

5 minutes ago, ezzra said:

As it already been said the Palestinian authorities are the sole responsible for procuring and administrating the vaccines to its people and any attempts to blame Israel for the Palestinian leadership short coming is ludicrous

but what can you do when the 'usual suspects of Israel bashers and hates are out in force eager to blame Israel no matter what?

here is a translated article from Haarat'z newspaper:

 

https://www.haaretz.co.il/health/corona/1.9379661

From your link...

"[Deputy Health Minister] Kish  added in an interview that the transfer of vaccines to the PA is expected to help Israel as well, but noted that "Israeli citizens come first."

 

Just another example of racist apartheid Israel.

2 hours ago, ezzra said:

Really? and you base this ridiculous statement on what exactly? or is an opportunity to rubbish Israel every time it mentioned in the same breath as the Palestinians? grow up buddy... now go ahead and give me the sad/confused mark...

Let me try to name some of the reasons. Israel illegally occupies Palestinian lands, control movement of people and goods through Palestinian Authorities’  borders. They refuse to allow Palestinians to have their own port, airport let alone even any form of army. They impose inhumane and illegal siege on Gaza. They occupy Lebanese and Syrian lands. They discriminates against their own citizens if they are not Jews. Their prisons is full of men, women and even children. Illegal Political Assassinations is a well-known Israeli policy against Palestinians, inside and outside of Palestine, who dare to resist the occupation of their land. Check points are everywhere where the Israeli Army humiliates and sometimes kills with cold blood innocent unarmed civilians. Israel are allies with brutal dictators in the region who oppressed their own people such as Sisi of Egypt or MBS or Saudi Arabia and MBZ of UAE.

There is a special security unit called ‘Mostaarebeen’ made of agents who looks as Arabs, speaks Arabic and dresses up as Arab infiltrates Palestinian cities to assassinate activists or kill/kidnap patients from hospitals causing mayhem.

No nation on earth has ever defied International laws and UN resolutions as did Israel.

Israel needs to stop its occupation and behaving like Mafia State to deserve a lasting peace and respect of all nations. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch among others are only reporting a very small portion of Israel daily crimes.

3 hours ago, ezzra said:

You said pal, Israel has some obligation and it will meet those obligation in time as condition permit, Israel never said that No, we are not supplying the PA with vaccine but there are priority here, what annoying is that some posters here and they know who they are just enjoy to vilify and demonize Israel for everything, right or wrong ...

 

I referenced the prioritisation of the general Israeli population over Palestinian health care workers, a point you have ignored. Israel is a member of Covax, the stance Israeli government has taken with Palestinian health workers directly contravenes the spirit of Covax, including the Palestinians in general.

Inflammatory troll post and reply removed.

 

On 1/10/2021 at 11:11 PM, OneMoreFarang said:

Did anybody expect anything different from Israel?

Did anyone expect anything different from Palestine? 

* Deleted post edited out *

 

Israel is a signatory to the WHO COVAX program which spells out equitable supply for poorer countries. Palestine has been refused recognition as a country, Israel controls supply of goods into Palestinian areas. It is incumbent on Israeli authorities, at a minimum to urgently provide Covid 19 vaccines, as referenced in the OP, for Palestinian health care workers.

Off-topic posts removed.