Israeli forces stationed along the border fence between Israel and the Gaza Strip opened fire at Palestinian farmlands east of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on Sunday, according to locals. Witnesses said Israeli forces opened live fire at farmlands near the military tower in the al-Sanati area east of Khan Yunis on Sunday morning. On Gaza's western sea border, Israeli naval forces also opened fire at fishing boats near the al-Sudaniyyah area in the north. No injuries were reported in either incident. An Israeli army spokeswoman said she was looking into reports. more
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