EU Promises Gazans Help Getting Virus Vaccine

Palestinian men walk past the closed gate of al-Azhar University in Gaza City amid new measures to counter the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, Nov. 5, 2020. (AFP)
Palestinian men walk past the closed gate of al-Azhar University in Gaza City amid new measures to counter the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, Nov. 5, 2020. (AFP)
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EU Promises Gazans Help Getting Virus Vaccine

Palestinian men walk past the closed gate of al-Azhar University in Gaza City amid new measures to counter the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, Nov. 5, 2020. (AFP)
Palestinian men walk past the closed gate of al-Azhar University in Gaza City amid new measures to counter the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, Nov. 5, 2020. (AFP)

A European Union delegation visited Gaza on Tuesday pledging to help the blockaded Palestinian enclave access coronavirus vaccines, as the epidemic there continues to escalate.

EU representative to the Palestinian Territories Sven Kuhn von Burgsdorff, who led the delegation of roughly 20 people, said the bloc would work with the United Nations "to facilitate (vaccination) to those most in need."

"It's a very complicated issue, but... the moment these vaccines become available, we will try our utmost," he said.

Gaza, ruled by the Hamas movement since 2007, is under a tight Israeli-enforced blockade, one factor that has led to weak health infrastructure in the Palestinian enclave.

Israel says the blockade is necessary to contain Hamas.

Hamas acted fast in March to forestall the virus, only allowing entry to a limited number of people, who were then required to isolate for three weeks in quarantine centers.

In mid-August, Gaza had recorded only around 100 Covid-19 cases, but the past two weeks have seen a rapid deterioration in containment.

On Monday, Hamas said it had received 20,000 test kits from the World Health Organization, after warning it could no longer perform testing due to a shortage.

Facing a surge in cases, Hamas has also announced a lockdown on weekends lasting from December 11 to the end of the month. It also closed schools, universities, kindergartens and mosques.

Gaza has now registered nearly 25,600 coronavirus infections, including around 150 deaths.

Israel's government has meanwhile announced the procurement of millions of doses of vaccines from both Pfizer and Moderna, but has not yet commented on whether its procurement would cater for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank or Gaza.



Lebanese Army Denies Reports Claiming Militant Infiltration and Troop Withdrawal in Bekaa

Lebanese army units deploy on the Lebanese -Syrian border (File/Reuters) 
Lebanese army units deploy on the Lebanese -Syrian border (File/Reuters) 
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Lebanese Army Denies Reports Claiming Militant Infiltration and Troop Withdrawal in Bekaa

Lebanese army units deploy on the Lebanese -Syrian border (File/Reuters) 
Lebanese army units deploy on the Lebanese -Syrian border (File/Reuters) 

The Lebanese Army on Sunday denied reports alleging the infiltration of armed groups into Lebanon and the army's withdrawal from border areas in the Bekaa region.

In an official statement posted on its X page, the army said, “Further to previous statements, the Army Command denies what is being circulated on a number of social media sites regarding the entry of armed persons into Lebanon and the withdrawal of the army from border areas in the Bekaa.”

The statement affirmed that “the relevant military units continue to carry out their regular missions to control the Lebanese-Syrian border, in addition to monitoring the security situation internally to maintain stability and prevent any threat to civil peace.”

The Army Command then called for maintaining accuracy in reporting news related to the military institution and the security situation, and refraining from spreading rumors that could lead to tension among citizens.