Israelis and Palestinians Fight COVID-19 Together

Since the beginning of the global outbreak of the coronavirus, the IDF has helped transfer critical medical equipment to Palestinians in Judea and Samaria and the Gaza Strip.

In Judea and Samaria, the IDF Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) is cooperating with the Palestinian Authority to facilitate the transfer of medical equipment sent by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the United Nations (UN), and neighboring countries to Palestinian medical teams in the area. 

Since the start of the outbreak, COGAT has ensured that the Palestinian Authority has received thousands of coronavirus testing kits and hundreds of medical masks as well as protective suits and disinfectants.

COGAT has also coordinated professional medical workshops and online tutorials for Palestinian and Israeli medical workers in Judea and Samaria to help them treat COVID-19.

"The health of all citizens in the regions stands above all, and is in our top priority," states Maj. Yotam Shefer, Head of the Foreign Relations Department of the IDF Civil Administration in Judea and Samaria. "We will continue in collaboration with the PA in a joint effort to eradicate the continuous spread of the virus."

The United Nations has praised Israel’s efforts to coordinate with Palestinian officials and medical teams. Nickolay Mladenov, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, described the cooperation between Israel and the Palestinian Authority as “excellent.” The UN Secretary General noted in a statement that “Israeli and Palestinian authorities continue to coordinate their responses closely and constructively, a major factor in the containment achieved so far.”

COGAT has also facilitated the entry of vital medical supplies and equipment into the Gaza Strip, including swabs for collection of samples, laboratory supplies required for COVID-19 testing, and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to protect health workers from the virus. Health workers and other personnel involved in the response to COVID-19 continue to be permitted to travel in and out of Gaza.

The IDF is also processing COVID-19 tests from Gaza in its medical facility in Israel.

On March 27 and May 6, rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel – two of thousands of rockets fired from the territory in the past decade. Despite the ongoing threat of attacks from terrorist groups in Gaza, Israel continues to facilitate the transfer of food, fuel, building supplies, and other goods into Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing. Palestinian patients also continue to enter Israel via the Erez crossing in order to receive life-saving medical treatment.

IDF will continue cooperating with the Palestinian Authority and Palestinian medical teams in the fight against COVID-19.