Yusuf al-Hassaina, a member of the political bureau of the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization, on Tuesday blasted Israel for refusing to allow coronavirus vaccines to be transferred to Gaza, saying the move expresses the true "detestable" face of the "criminal entity" and amounts to a "war crime" against the Palestinian people.
Hassaina described the refusal to allow the vaccines to Gaza as an expression of Israel's "continuous aggression" against the Palestinian people, which includes “collective punishments” and a “siege” which has been imposed on the Gaza Strip for many years.
He accused Israel of acting like an "organized crime entity committing crimes against humanity" while the international community refrains from taking deterrent measures against it.
The comments come a day after PA officials accused Israel of holding up the delivery of COVID-19 vaccines into Gaza.
A PA official told Reuters that the PA tried to send 2,000 doses of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine to Gaza, but that Israel stopped the shipment at a checkpoint “and informed the Palestinians there was no approval to continue to Gaza.”
An Israeli security official said the PA’s request to send the 2,000 doses was “still being examined” and that “an approval hasn’t yet been given.”
The PA officially launched its COVID-19 vaccination campaign earlier this month, with health workers receiving the first shots.
The campaign began after Israel transferred 2,000 doses of Moderna’s vaccine and said it had earmarked another 3,000 shots for Palestinian Arabs.
Israel was recently criticized in international circles for failing to provide the PA with COVID-19 vaccines. This criticism came from international organizations but also from US lawmakers from the Democratic party, most notably Rep. Rashida Tlaib, Rep. Joaquin Castro and Rep. Jamaal Bowman.
However, as former Ambassador Alan Baker pointed out in a recent interview with Arutz Sheva, Israel is in no way obligated to deliver vaccines to Palestinian Arabs or to residents of Gaza.
Israeli Arabs, including those residing in eastern Jerusalem, are being vaccinated as have almost all Arabs in Israeli prisons, including terrorists.