Hamas calls on Egypt to open Gaza borders forever
GAZA, Feb. 23 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) on Monday called on Egypt to immediately open its border with the Gaza Strip freely and forever.
Hamas spokesman in Gaza Fawzi Barhoum said that this step is needed to respond to Israel which "blocked Egypt's efforts aimed at brokering a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip between his movement and Israel."
"The Israeli occupation has no intention to reach any agreement on lull," Barhoum said, adding that Israel "badly invests Egypt's efforts" to release Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier Hamas has been holding hostage since 2006.
Until now, the besieged Gaza Strip has stayed free of the novel coronavirus spreading across the world. As the Gaza Strip has been under a stringent Israeli-led blockade for nearly 13 years, the spread of the coronavirus - officially known as COVID-19 - has become the topic of discussion for many Palestinians, with some joking that the blockade was preventing them from being exposed.But as authorities in the coastal Palestinian enclave gear up to contain any potential outbreak, serious questions have arisen about the risks and implications of such a scenario. But given its already difficult humanitarian situation and high population density, an outbreak in the Gaza Strip could prove to be catastrophic, health officials have warned. "If the virus enters Gaza and spreads, it will get out of hand," Gaza Ministry of Health spokesperson Majdi Thuhair told Middle East Eye, as he explained that a severe shortage of resources and personnel would make it near impossible
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