At a time when the Corona virus crisis has crowded out other news, the Alliance is producing news briefs every two weeks to keep our members informed about the situation in occupied Palestine.
Brief for April 30, 2020
The Israeli paper Haaretz reports that by the end of April 15,946 Israelis had tested positive for Covid-19 and 222 had died. Palestinian sources cite at least 320 cases and 2 deaths in the West Bank, and 17 cases in the Gaza Strip. Over half the West Bank cases can be traced to workers infected in Israel and denied treatment there. The Red Cross delivered some medical equipment to Gaza on April 23, bringing its number of ventilators to 93. About 2,000 Gazans are currently being quarantined in schools and hotels.
On April 20, after 3 inconclusive Israeli elections, Benny Gantz of the ‘Blue and White Party’ agreed to form a ‘national unity’ government with Netanyahu, whose trial on corruption charges has been postponed because of the Covid-19 crisis. In forging a deal that helps Netanyahu consolidate his authoritarian rule, Gantz agreed that in July the Knesset would vote on Israel’s annexation of large parts of the West Bank. On April 27, the State Department said it was ready to recognize annexation of Jewish settlements.
As if to clear the way for annexation, Israeli settlers have stepped up attacks on Palestinian farmers. From April 1 – 23, the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem documented 23 settler attacks using clubs, axes, electroshock weapons, and assault dogs. Settlers have uprooted Palestinian olive trees, dumped sewage on their fields and loosed their cattle on Palestinian farms.
The Israeli army has continued to raid West Bank homes and make arrests – the number of child detainees has increased 6% during the months of the Covid-19 crisis. On April 19, the army used live ammunition against youth protesting the Apartheid wall in Tulkarem. Soldiers have fired on protestors in the Jerusalem district and those in Kufur Qaddoum holding weekly demonstrations against expanding settlements, and have also shot at farmers in the Gaza Strip. At least three Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since the pandemic was declared.
You can read about many of these incidents here.
