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Sunday, February 14, 2021

Palestinians formally request transfer of tens of thousands of COVID-19 vaccines to Gaza. Israel will approve. Exactly as it should be.



Last week, there were more articles claiming that Israel is withholding vaccines from Palestinians.

None of them mentioned whether Palestinian health authorities actually requested vaccines.

Because when they do, Israel complies. As it should under the Geneva Conventions. 

Walla today reports that the Palestinian Authority requested that Israel transfer tens of thousands of vaccines and it is expected to be approved:

Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi and Defense Minister Bnei Gantz are expected to approve in the coming days a request submitted by the Palestinian Authority for the transfer of tens of thousands of vaccine doses to the Gaza Strip. 

According to senior IDF officers, thousands of doses have so far been transferred. Now, the request that was sent to Israel a few days ago refers to vaccines that the Palestinian Authority purchased with its own money or vaccines that it received as a donation from the World Health Organization, the European Union and Russia.

"Israel has approved and assisted in the various waves of the corona to transfer medical equipment to hospitals in the Strip," said senior officers involved in the details. They added that "corona vaccines are no different from regular drug or flu vaccines."

Last week, Israel provided vaccines for hundreds of Palestinian workers in another little-reported story.