Palestinian Authority: first batch of Covid-19 vaccines sent to Gaza

Israeli politicians express concern that first batch will not go to medics

A Palestinian paramedic takes a nasal swab to test for the coronavirus at a mosque in Gaza City. AP

The first 2,000 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine were sent to Hamas-ruled Gaza, the Palestinian Authority said, after being delayed by two days in Israel.

Palestinian Health Minister Mai AlKaila said the 2,000 doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine were sent through the Beitunia crossing between the occupied West Bank and Israel and are en route to Gaza.

She said they would go to frontline medical workers. 
An Israeli defence official confirmed that the vaccines were on their way to Gaza after approval, saying it was "not in Israel's interest to have a Gaza health crisis". .
Israeli politicians had debated whether to allow the delivery of vaccines into Gaza, which has been under an Israeli-Egyptian blockade since Hamas, a militant group, seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007.

The Palestinian Authority administers parts of the West Bank and co-ordinates with Israel on security and other matters.
Some legislators said the delivery should be linked to progress on the release of two Israeli captives held by Hamas and the remains of two Israeli soldiers killed in 2014.

They also expressed concern that the first batch of vaccines would go to Hamas members rather than medical personnel.
Gaza is home to more than two million Palestinians, many of whom live in close confines, and has yet to receive any vaccines.

Authorities have reported more than 53,000 cases and at least 538 deaths since the start of the pandemic.
Israel launched one of the world's most successful vaccination programmes, inoculating more than a third of its population of 9.3 million since December.
Rights groups say it has an obligation as an occupying power to share its vaccines with the Palestinians. Israel denies such an obligation and says its priority is its own citizens.

The Palestinian Authority has not publicly requested vaccines from Israel and says it has secured its own supply through the World Health Organisation and agreements with drug makers.
Still, this month Israel provided 2,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine to the authority, which oversees the West Bank's population of 3.3 million people, allowing it to begin vaccinating medical workers.

The authority said it had independently acquired another 10,000 doses of the Sputnik V vaccine.

It would need Israel’s permission to transfer them to Gaza.

Hamas is believed to be holding two captives, an Israeli of Ethiopian descent who entered Gaza shortly after the 2014 war and an Arab Bedouin citizen of Israel. In exchange, Hamas is likely to demand the release of a large number of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, including individuals implicated in deadly attacks.